Gary Chapman - Huntsville Museum of Art

“So I began photographing the daughters of my sisters andfriends, looking at their lives and wondering what choices theywould have as they approached adulthood.” — Carolyn ShererPeter Baldaia: Your works are dissimilar in many ways,but I also see interesting commonalities, particularly inimages of young people at a stage in life where they’renot fully evolved, and in your interest in examining issuesof gender identity. Let’s begin by talking about the generalnature of your work in.Gary Chapman: In all of my work, I strive to investigatewhat is real and what is truth. My subjects are alwayspassionately searching for meaning, knowledge andexperience as part of a quest of ”finding themselves.”Although I consider myself a realist artist, I’m not simplyinterested in reproducing images, but in creating somethingthat goes beyond pictorial reality and recognizes adeeper understanding of what real means. I want feelings,ideas and emotions to be as tangible as an apple or a face.So I try not to limit my subjects to a single moment in timeor place, or my interpretation of them through a singlemedium, device or style.Carolyn Sherer: For me, the process of making portraitsis about seeking common humanity through individualstories. While the images I make are largely factual,my intent is to allow enough uncertainty to encourageimaginative consideration of the impact of contemporaryissues on identity. My perspective as a photographer isstrongly informed by my childhood, which I remember interms of snapshots. As a military brat, constantly movingaround the world with my family, I was conditioned earlyon to seek commonality amid great cultural diversity.Traditional gender roles formed the core structure of themilitary during the time, yet I came of age in the late1960s and early 1970s with the emergence of thewomen’s movement. Questions about gender roles andidentity were vigorously discussed at our dinner table.Peter: How did your interest in photography develop?Carolyn: I didn’t study photography formally in school;instead I became a physical therapist. As a lesbian in collegeduring the 1970s, I was worried about how I’d make aliving on my own, so I put aside my artistic interests.After college I took evening courses in black and whitephotography, and learned how to use a darkroom. I spentvacations attending professional workshops, studying withvarious photographers who were making fine art portraits.Motivated by my experiences as a physical therapist, inthe mid-1990s I created a series of photographic portraitsof people with disabilities, Just As I Am, that opened manydoors for me. Around the same time, I was invited tosubmit work for an exhibition of Southern photography atthe Birmingham Museum of Art. I was in my 30s and hadcome to realize that because of the cultural circumstancesof the time, I was not going to have children. And I reallywanted them. So I began photographing the daughters ofmy sisters and friends, looking at their lives and wonderingwhat choices they would have as they approached adulthood.That series of black and white images addressingfeminine self-identity became Junior Matriarchs of theSouth. As my work evolved, it also began to reflect afascination with narrative paintings.Peter: Did that lead to your series Living Color?Carolyn: Yes. My original vision for the series occurredspontaneously during a soiree at the Birmingham Museumof Art. As I was driving down 21st Street to attend theparty, I noted the strange contrast of the jail on one sideof the street and people in fur coats entering the museumon the other. In that moment I felt intensely isolated andcaught on the edge between powerful, conflicting forces.Inside the museum, as I was eating gourmet grits from amartini glass, a group of African American kids walked byand stared in the window. We made uneasy eye contactand I wondered who they were, where they were going,and what judgments they might make about my life?When I entered the galleries and viewed historical paintings,I saw contemporary photographs in my mind’s eye. I knewthe muse had arrived.The subjects for Living Color are the offspring of my friendsand family. In this work I’m not only motivated by the needto document moments before they disappear, but also topresent a search for beauty in a world of contradictions.I’m seeking to capture a fleeting moment, an expressionon a face or body gesture to reveal an intimate glimpseof emerging identity. I experience these kids as distinctlychild-like and anticipatory, yet possessing hints of complexidentities on the horizon.opposite: Carolyn Sherer, Ana (detail), 1995,gelatin silver print, 12.25 x 16.5 inches

“… the idea that it’s okay to go into a dark placefor a while, but at some point you have to rise upand move forward.” — Gary ChapmandPeter: Gary, many of your recent large-scale works alsofocus on adolescents transitioning to adulthood. Much likeCarolyn’s work, they’re very personal.Gary: Yes. This series has developed slowly over thepast seven years, with each work taking a year or more tocomplete. They’re not meant to make emphatic statements,but to encapsulate dialogues about different ideas. Each isfocused on an overriding theme. The first one, Life DuringWartime, is a dialogue with my daughter Sadie. It’s aboutaccountability, responsibility, and finding acceptance forsomething and moving on. The painting directly addressesher heart surgery and how sometimes life sucks. Also theidea that it’s okay to go into a dark place for a while, butat some point you have to rise up and move forward.Another painting in the series, To Be With You, is aboutSadie as well. It’s a father-daughter conversation aboutrelationships, infatuation, falling in love, and makinggood decisions.Peter: These works seem to represent a new direction foryou in terms of their complex ordering of visual information.You’ve always been an accomplished painter, but hereyou’re expanding your repertoire, inserting canvas paintingsinto larger compositions, adding constructed elements andboxes containing everyday objects, and “pasting” imageryfrom radically different contexts onto the surfaces. You’realso integrating text into the works.above: Gary Chapman, To Be With You, 2010,oil and gold leaf on canvas, mixed mediaon wood panels, 84 x 64 inchesopposite: Gary Chapman, Life During Wartime,2006, oil and gold leaf on canvas, mixed mediaon wood panels, 84 x 64 inchesoverleaf spread: Carolyn Sherer, Katie and Wade(detail), 1996, gelatin silver print, 12.25 x 16.5 inchesGary: The texts reference lyrics from songs by favorite cultbands of the 1980s. I was in graduate school during thattime, and it was music more than visual art that droveme creatively. The other elements are largely inspired bythe art of 1980s—artists like David Salle. I have a seconddegree in woodworking and like to build things, so it madesense to incorporate handmade objects into the works.Over the course of my career I’ve continually worked backand forth between straightforward pictorial reality and amontaging of images. I enjoy that freedom.

“They’re caught in the middle ofchanging, but we are not certainhow the change will be resolved.”— Carolyn ShererPeter: Carolyn, in contrast to many of Gary’s works,your photographs are presented very straightforwardly,yet possess great emotional and psychological depth. I’mcurious to know how you capture your subjects. Do you“direct” people toward a particular idea you have, ordoes the image simply evolve during a shoot?Carolyn: The photographs are not staged. I tell mysubjects where to move in terms of the light, but onceI’m satisfied with the light source I let them do what theywant. Usually I move around them, working with a handheld camera.Peter: You’ve recently revisited your Living Color series toreshoot subjects a number of years later. The Connectionsexhibition will pair some of the earlier shots, where the kidsare approaching adolescence, with the current photographs,where they’re considerably older but not yet adults.Carolyn: In returning to these subjects whom I haveknown for years, I am making portraits to document theircurrent experiences, but recording their development overtime becomes a narrative about gender and identity that isboth personal and political. The images capture a strangetime in life. These people are not children, and they’re notadults. They’re caught in the middle of changing, but weare not certain how the change will be resolved.Peter: Although you focus mostly on girls in this series,there are also interesting photographs of boys. I especiallylike Caro and the Buick, which depicts a shirtless teenagedboy in front of a vintage car. He hasn’t fully reached pubertyso he looks somewhat androgynous. And there’s a trio ofphotographs of a boy named Will variously dressed as acowboy, a choir boy, and a Nazi.above: Carolyn Sherer, Will in Book Report Regalia,2009, pigment print on photo rag, 28 x 20 inchesopposite, above: Carolyn Sherer, Cousins 2005, 2005,pigment print on photo rag, 20 x 28 inchesopposite, below: Carolyn Sherer, Cousins 2012, 2012,pigment print on photo rag, 20 x 28 inchesCarolyn: Will is the son of dear friends, and I’ve beenphotographing him since birth. The image of him as aNazi is particularly fascinating. He’s outfitted that way todeliver a book report for a school project—the studentswere encouraged to dress in character and Will wasreporting on a biography of Hitler. His placid expressionis in sharp contrast with the highly charged costume andmustache. It’s also ironic that he looks so Aryan, but thathis last name is Rosenstiel.Peter: The trio certainly comments on the notion of rolesand role-playing, which leads me to other works in theexhibition that deal directly with gender identity. Gary,two of your recent paintings form a natural pair, balancingtraditional cultural roles associated with men with theirfemale counterpart.

Gary: I conceived of the two as a natural pair.Re-Engage revolves around male sexuality, so itcenters on the hyper-masculine image of ArnoldSchwarzenegger as Mr. Olympia. The painting isalso a conversation about how sex and war—two major male preoccupations—have becomedispassionate in contemporary society, andthe need to reconnect with our humanity. Thecompanion piece, Ad-Vice, is about femalesexuality, and is anchored by the pin-up image ofRaquel Welch from the film, One Million Years B.C.I realize that it’s presented from the perspectiveof a male who is also the father of a daughter,which changes everything. It’s a dialogue aboutthe great burden that’s thrust upon women tosimultaneously assume multiple, contradictoryroles, and the impossible pressure to measure upto society’s expectations.Peter: There’s a lot going on in these paintings,both visually and intellectually.Gary: There is. I have very clear ideas aboutwhat each particular element means, but I don’tthink that people have to know the specifics tounderstand the works. I hope they pick up on theidea that it’s a conversation. In a conversation,you’re not worried about grammar or precision,you let an idea form and then maybe you gosomewhere else with it. My aim is to presentdisparate elements that can be linked in variousways as opposed to making a clear, linearstatement.Peter: Carolyn, your Sapphic Dance seriespresents a fascinating glimpse into gender identityand role playing, bringing into the mainstreama distinctive but little known sub-culture ofthe contemporary LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender) community.This series was an outgrowth of a recent exhibition,Living in Limbo: Lesbian Families in theDeep South. A participant in that project invitedme to photograph her lesbian sorority ball inAtlanta. During that event Idiscovered a thriving subculture within the LGBTcommunity of which I was previously unaware.The sorority sisters of Phi Nu Kappa Sororitywere girly girls embracing their femininity andpresenting themselves with style, sensuality andgreat comfort with their bodies. Their moreandrogynous partners adopted a very masculine personaand belonged to a twin organization, the Alpha Psi Kappafraternity. Together these self-described femmes anddominates have created an alternative support system,referred to collectively as the Kappa Phamily. The imagesaddress the issue of gender identity in a way I had notpreviously considered.Peter: I see a strong resonance between this series andGary’s male/female diptych. The exaggerated and polarizedgender roles embraced by the Kappa Phamily aresurprisingly in sync with the rigid images of femininityand masculinity projected by Raquel Welch and ArnoldSchwarzenegger in Ad-Vice and Re-Engage. In ourincreasingly diverse society, the power of mass media toinfluence and shape how we define ourselves as men andwomen seems as strong as ever.

above: Carolyn Sherer, Valerie and Brandi(detail), 2012, pigment print onphoto rag, 40 x 30 inchesabove left: Gary Chapman, Re-Engage,2010, oil on canvas, mixed mediaon wood panels, 84 x 64 inchesopposite: Gary Chapman, Ad-Vice, 2013,oil on canvas, mixed mediaon wood panels, 84 x 60 inches

“Your works are dissimilar in many ways, but I also see interestingcommonalities, particularly in images of young people at a stagein life where they're not fully evolved, and in your interest inexamining issues of gender identity.” — Peter BaldaiaGary ChapmanBiographyBorn in 1961, Xenia, OhioLives in Birmingham, AlabamaEducation1984 BA Art and BS Industrial Arts, Berea College,Berea, KY1986 MFA Painting and Drawing, Cranbrook Academyof Art, Bloomfield Hills, MIProfessional Experience1990 – PresentProfessor of Painting and Drawing, Departmentof Art and Art History, University of Alabamaat Birmingham, ALRecent Solo Exhibitions2012 Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts,Montgomery, AL2011 University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL2009 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN2008 BECA Gallery, New Orleans, LAMeridian Museum of Art, Meridian, MS2007 University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS2006 The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL2004 Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art,Auburn University, Auburn, AL2003 Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, INRecent Group Exhibitions2013 Connections: Gary Chapman/Carolyn Sherer,Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL2012 The Red Clay Survey: 2012 Exhibition ofContemporary Southern Art, HuntsvilleMuseum of Art, Huntsville, ALRecent Awards and Honors2012 Alabama Artist Award–2D, The Red Clay Survey:2012 Exhibition of Contemporary Southern Art,Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL2010 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Universityof Alabama at Birmingham, ALMerit Award, LaGrange National XXVI Biennial,LaGrange Art Museum, LaGrange, GA2006 Purchase Award and Honorable Mention, 100 Years:Lighting The Way, Alabama Power CompanyCorporate Headquarters, Birmingham, AL2004 Purchase Award, Southeastern Juried Exhibition2004, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, ALMuseum and University CollectionsBirmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, ALFlorida State University, Tallahassee, FLHuntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, ALJule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn, ALMeridian Museum of Art, Meridian, MSMobile Museum of Art, Mobile, ALMontgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, ALOgden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LAUniversity of Mississippi, MSWiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, ALFor further information, visit www.garychapmanart.com

Carolyn ShererBiographyBorn in 1957, Jasper, AlabamaLives in Birmingham, AlabamaEducation1980 BS, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL1984 MS, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL1985-95 Photography Studies with Mary Ellen Mark,Judy Dater, Rodney Smith, Karen Kuehn and othersProfessional Experience2008-PresentPhotography Instructor, Samford University,Birmingham, AL1998-2008Assistant Professor, School of Health Professions,University of Alabama at Birmingham, ALRecent Exhibitions2013 Connections: Gary Chapman/Carolyn Sherer,Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, ALLiving in Limbo: Lesbian Families of the Deep South(solo exhibition), West Hollywood Library,West Hollywood, CA and African AmericanMuseum, Dallas, TXMaterial Witness, Dalton Gallery, Agnes ScottCollege, Atlanta, GA40th Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition,Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts,Montgomery, AL2012 Barriers, Space One Eleven, Birmingham, ALI Have a Secret Wish, Visual Arts Gallery, Universityof Alabama at Birmingham, ALLiving in Limbo: Lesbian Families of the Deep South(solo exhibition), Birmingham Civil Rights Institute,Birmingham, ALSapphic Dance (solo exhibition), beta pictorisgallery/ Maus Contemporary Art, Birmingham, ALThe Red Clay Survey: 2012 Exhibition ofContemporary Southern Art, Huntsville Museumof Art, Huntsville, AL (also 2007, 2005)2011 Celebrating Contemporary Art in Alabama, JohnsonCenter for the Arts, Troy, ALFarewell and Introductions, The Front,New Orleans, LA2010 Shootin’ Southern, Mobile Museum of Art,Mobile, AL (Invitational)Wiregrass Biennial, Wiregrass Museum of Art,Dothan, AL2009 The Nature of Being Southern, Johnson Center forthe Arts, Troy, AL2008 The F Words, Space One Eleven, Birmingham, AL2007 Of the Moment, Birmingham Museum of Art,Birmingham, ALRecent Awards and Honors2013 Aronov Award, 40th Montgomery Art GuildMuseum Exhibition, Montogmery Museum ofFine Arts, Montgomery, ALHonoree, 21 Women Who Made a Difference inBirmingham 2012, Birmingham News and RedMountain Theatre, Birmingham, AL2011 Individual Artist Fellowship, Alabama State Councilon the Arts, Montgomery, AL (also 2005)Museum/University CollectionsBirmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham, ALBirmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, ALWiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, ALFor further information, visit www.carolynsherer.com

above and opposite: Gary Chapman, Endeavor/Persevere, 2008,oil and gold leaf on canvas, 31 x 79 inches, Lent by The Wood Family,Birmingham, ALon back cover: Carolyn Sherer, Caro and the Buick, 2004,pigment print on photo rag, 20 x 24 inchesThe Connections series of solo exhibitionsis organized by Peter J. Baldaia, Director ofCuratorial Affairs of the Huntsville Museumof Art, to highlight outstanding regionalcontemporary art.Unless otherwise noted, all works are lent bythe artists. All dimensions in inches; heightbefore width before depth.

Catalogue Design:Altherr Howard Design, New Market, ALPhotography:Gary Chapman and Carolyn ShererPrinting:Craftsman Printing, Birmingham, ALCopyright © 2013Huntsville Museum of Art300 Church Street SouthHuntsville, AL 35801 USA256-535-4350www.hsvmuseum.orgAll rights reserved.ISBN 1-885820-35-6