Secret Identities
Excerpts from Secret Identities on display in Brooklyn, NY for the public art exhibit (be)longing.
Secret Identities is a fine art photography series that uses dissonant cultural iconography to explore misperceptions about the performativity of gender nonconformity.
Excerpts from the series were recently featured in (be)longing, a public art exhibit in the windows of businesses and properties along Grand Street in Brooklyn, curated by Emily Markert, with support from the Grand Street BID. The exhibit was featured on NY1 News in June 2023. The series was also selected for a juried group exhibit at SVA’s Gramercy Gallery opening May 15, 2024.
The images portray a queer couple in mundane scenes of daily life. The characters are shown tackling household chores, personal errands, and leisurely afternoons in the park. However, in every scene, they are styled from the neck down as drag performers, while wearing a Batman mask that covers their entire heads.
The series draws a stark parallel between the gender identities of the characters and the so-called “secret identities” of superheroes. They call upon the famous comic lore that Batman is the “real” person, and his “secret identity” of Bruce Wayne is actually the performance. Secret Identities aims to challenge viewers’ assumptions, asserting that what the cis-het majority sees as a performative spectacle may actually be the most placidly truthful expression for others.
Moreover, the project offers a reminder that, with the ongoing sociopolitical persecution of trans people, drag performers, and the “visibly queer,” there is an inherent heroism in authentic expressions of self.
Secret Identities was shot in collaboration with Savannah Shearouse (known on stage as Nita Squeeze), a Broadway hair & make-up artist and professional drag performer, and features non-binary actor Erin Noll as the lead model alongside Joseph. Production was made possible through the support of producer Eli Daar. Special Thanks to Hairrari Barbers for donating their space.
