<strong>Gary</strong>: I conceived <strong>of</strong> the two as a natural pair.Re-Engage revolves around male sexuality, so itcenters on the hyper-masculine image <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong>Raquel Welch from the film, One Million Years B.C.I realize that it’s presented from the perspective<strong>of</strong> a male who is also the father <strong>of</strong> 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.<strong>Gary</strong>: 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 <strong>of</strong>the contemporary LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender) community.This series was an outgrowth <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> which I was previously unaware.The sorority sisters <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> gender identity in a way I had notpreviously considered.Peter: I see a strong resonance between this series and<strong>Gary</strong>’s male/female diptych. The exaggerated and polarizedgender roles embraced by the Kappa Phamily aresurprisingly in sync with the rigid images <strong>of</strong> femininityand masculinity projected by Raquel Welch and ArnoldSchwarzenegger in Ad-Vice and Re-Engage. In ourincreasingly diverse society, the power <strong>of</strong> 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: <strong>Gary</strong> <strong>Chapman</strong>, Re-Engage,2010, oil on canvas, mixed mediaon wood panels, 84 x 64 inchesopposite: <strong>Gary</strong> <strong>Chapman</strong>, Ad-Vice, 2013,oil on canvas, mixed mediaon wood panels, 84 x 60 inches
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