One’s manner of dress can lead to powerful transformations. Switching
up the ways we present our gender identity or our occupation can
inspire us to act in ways we wouldn’t otherwise. While this can be
empowering, photographer Juha Arvid Helminen
investigates the ways uniforms denoting positions of power can grant
their wearers permission to commit inhumane acts. “In 2006, I witnessed
the so-called Smash ASEM ‘riot,'” writes the artist. “There I personally
saw the dark side of the Finnish police. How young men hid behind their
uniforms and hoods and anonymously committed misconduct. Later I
witnessed the reluctance of the justice system to punish those in
uniforms.”
In his monochromatic photo series “The Invisible Empire,” figures
clothed in black stand barely visible against black backgrounds.
Helminen’s costuming takes inspiration from instances in history
where uniformed bearers of authority committed atrocities. The tailoring
of his subjects’ coats evokes Nazi military jackets while his conical
headpieces evoke the ominous robes of the KKK. Helminen leaves his
models’ faces obscured, alluding to the ways personal identity and moral
judgment can be obfuscated in the name of duty and social belonging.
by Nastia Voynovskaya hifructose.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment