Left: 'Daniel Savage - Quadraplegia'
Right: 'Daniel Savage - Will you ever get better?'
Photographic portraits by Daniel Savage
Contemporary western countries are arguably more inclusive than ever. In many societies, however, powerful words and terms, based on race, sexuality and disability, continue to denigrate groups considered to differ from established norms. These are words that have an inherently negative association for sectors of the community who are regularly discriminated against, oppressed, and segregated. While these words and phrases are often unspoken, the misunderstanding and fear they represent manifests in seemingly innocuous, frequently asked questions, such as, “Where are you from?”, “Is it just a phase?” and “Will you ever get better?”
This exhibition consists of two complementary series of portraits that bring together universal paradigms of offensive language and the individuals who have to deal with ignorance and insult as an inherent part of their lives.
‘No offense, but…” attempts to address the way words mark individuals as outsiders, create a space for the discussion of these issues, and questions not only how far we have come as a contemporary ‘inclusive’ society but also how much further there is to go.
I will be producing two series of photographic portraits which each series depicting the same subjects shot individually. Each subject will be from a various segment of the community that’s face some form of discrimination, at the moment the goal is to have 2 - 3 people each who fall under disability, sexuality, and race.
In one series of photos each subject will be wearing a plain black T-shirt with an offense word, used to describe/denigrate their section of the community, printed across the front. For example I will be one of the subjects and my shirt will say ‘CRIPPLE’. The second series of portraits will be shot exactly the same but the shirts will have the answer to questions commonly directed at the subject that could be deemed offensive, and in my experience are often prefaced by “no offense, but...” hence the title of the show. My goal is not to remove agency from the individual subjects but rather, by talking to them, bring to light their personal experiences through my work. The ultimate goal being that the exhibition, by putting a face to these terms and questions, is a catalyst for discussion about the issues presented.
yousharknotpass
pixelskylines
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
izzy806
blakekathryn
romaincrisis