JURY STATEMENT
The series “Life without a Parachute” shows great and grand moments in queer history and significant, far-reaching success stories, celebrated stars and individuals who fought for political achievements for the queer community far beyond the US-American context. Ultimately, Roger Erickson’s life’s work is itself a queer and Black hero’s story, encouraging and emphasizing the value of queer perspectives in history. A work that encourages, gives hope and empowers fluidity.
LIFE WITHOUT A PARACHUTE
Roger Erickson portrays humans who, in their own journey, have uncompromisingly let go of their parachute when skydiving. Who stand up for themselves, their vision and community. Who have fought for their rights, demonstrating that queer art and culture moves hearts and minds and has birthed some of the very greatest legends. From 1994 to 2019, Erickson photographed over 200 portraits as contemporary testimonies of queer culture, cementing outstanding queer personalities. The cinematic black and white photography with its sharp contours and contrasting intensity shows Erickson’s subjects as heroes already consigned to history, without diminishing the fluidity and diversity of their heroism. On the contrary, “Life without a Parachute” shows real people, emblematic protagonists and their stories, which point to a wide variety of political, artistic, pop-cultural and social queer contexts.
Roger Erickson: “I created this project, in part, as a way of documenting my experiences as a Gay, African American photographer living in the U.S. Secondly as part of an ongoing visual exploration on gender diversity within LGBTQ communities, what it means to be “Out”, and how coming out has impacted American culture. Some of the personalities include Chris Colfer, Wanda Sykes, Rufus Wainwright, Rachel Maddow, Indya Moore, Bishop Gene Robinson, Lena Waithe, Andrew Rannells, Colton Haynes, Lady Bunny, Edward Albee, John Waters, Greg Louganis, Armistead Maupin, Gillian Anderson, Alia Shawkat, The Gay Men’s Chorus, Samira Wiley, Gus Kenworthy, Catherine Opie, Chelsea Manning, Kristin Beck, Tegan and Sara, Sasha Velour, Shannon Purser, Gigi Gorgeous, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Evan Rachel Woods.“
BIOGRAPHY
Roger Erickson is from Oakland, California, where he began his tutelage in fine art photography while studying psychology at San Francisco State University. In the 1990’s his first commissioned, photo assignments were with Motörhead, Neil Young and Crazy Horse for Select Magazine. Afterwards he relocated to London, where he began his career photographing musicians. He is the first African American to photograph a cover of Vogue Magazine featuring Lily Aldridge on the 2003, August cover of Vogue México y Latinoamérica. In 2017 he photographed his third Out100 portfolio issue for Out Magazine.
Roger Erickson’s exhibitions include “OUTspoken: Portraits of LGBTQ Luminaries” (Solo), SFAC Galleries, San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco, CA June 9 – Oct. 16, 2015.
“Voices for Womankind: Resilience.”, WOMENKIND Art Exhibit (Group), One Art Space Gallery, Manhattan, NY, Sept. 27–Oct. 3, 2018.
“Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality” (Group), Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond, VA., June 22 2019–March 29 2020.
JURY STATEMENT
Die Serie „Life without a Parachute“ zeigt ganz großen Momente queerer Geschichte und weitreichende Erfolgsgeschichten, gefeierte Stars und Menschen, die politische Errungenschaften für die queere Community weit über den US-Kontext hinaus erbracht haben. Nichtzuletzt ist Roger Erickson’s Lebenswerk selbst eine queere und Schwarze Held*innengeschichte, die die Bedeutung queerer Perspektiven in der Geschichte unterstreicht. Eine Arbeit, die Mut macht, Hoffnung gibt und zur Fluidität empowered – große Held*innen, die Stärke geben können.
LIFE WITHOUT A PARACHUTE
Roger Erickson zeigt Menschen, die in ihrer eigenen Geschichte kompromisslos den Fallschirm beim Sprung losgelassen haben. Die für sich selbst, die eigene Vision und ihre Community einstehen. Rechte erkämpft haben, zeigen, dass queere Kunst und Kultur Welten bewegt und einige der ganz großen Helden hervorbringt. Von 1994 bis 2019 fotografierte Erickson über 200 Portraits als Zeitzeugnisse queerer Kultur und zementierte damit herausragende queere Persönlichkeiten im US-amerikanischen Kontext. Die cineastische schwarz-weiß Fotografie mit ihren scharfen Konturen und Kontrastinensität zeigt Ericksons Subjekte als bereits in die Geschichte eingegangene Held*innen, ohne dabei die Fluidität und Diversität dieses Held*innentums zu beschneiden. Im Gegenteil, „Life without a Parachute“ zeigt echte Menschen, Gallionsfiguren und deren Geschichten, die auf unterschiedlichste politische, künstlerische, pop-kulturelle und gesellschaftliche queere Spannungsfelder verweisen.
Roger Erickson: „Ich habe dieses Projekt zum Teil ins Leben gerufen, um meine Erfahrungen als homosexueller, afroamerikanischer Fotograf in den USA zu dokumentieren. Zum anderen ist es Teil einer fortlaufenden visuellen Erkundung der Gendervielfalt innerhalb der LGBTQ-Communities, was es bedeutet, „out“ zu sein, und wie sich das Coming-out auf die amerikanische Kultur ausgewirkt hat. Zu den Persönlichkeiten gehören Chris Colfer, Wanda Sykes, Rufus Wainwright, Rachel Maddow, Indya Moore, Bishop Gene Robinson, Lena Waithe, Andrew Rannells, Colton Haynes, Lady Bunny, Edward Albee, John Waters, Greg Louganis, Armistead Maupin, Gillian Anderson, Alia Shawkat, The Gay Men’s Chorus, Samira Wiley, Gus Kenworthy, Catherine Opie, Chelsea Manning, Kristin Beck, Tegan and Sara, Sasha Velour, Shannon Purser, Gigi Gorgeous, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater und Evan Rachel Woods.“
BIOGRAFIE
Roger Erickson stammt aus Oakland, Kalifornien, wo er während seines Psychologiestudiums an der San Francisco State University begann, sich mit Kunstfotografie zu beschäftigen. In den 1990er Jahren erhielt er seine ersten Fotoaufträge für das Select Magazine mit Motörhead, Neil Young und Crazy Horse. Danach zog er nach London, wo er seine Karriere als Fotograf von Musikern begann. Er ist der erste Afroamerikaner, der ein Cover des Vogue Magazins fotografiert hat, mit Lily Aldridge auf dem August-Cover der Vogue México y Latinoamérica 2003. Im Jahr 2017 fotografierte er seine dritte Out100 Portfolio-Ausgabe für das Out Magazine.
Zu den Ausstellungen von Roger Erickson gehören „OUTspoken: Portraits of LGBTQ Luminaries“ (Solo), SFAC Galleries, San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco, CA June 9 – Oct. 16, 2015. „Voices for Womankind: Resilience“, WOMENKIND Art Exhibit (Gruppe), One Art Space Gallery, Manhattan, NY, Sept. 27 – Oct. 3, 2018.
Transitions as lived stories of heroism. Mathis Benestebe shows how you can become a hero for and within yourself, connecting the concentrated autobiographical opening of the series with other parallel trajectories, human experiences of transition, all of which ultimately find different forms of embodiment.
Growing old as a queer person and thriving is an accomplishment till this day. This in itself makes the subjects heroes and role models for a lot of lgbtqia+ people. The joy and playfulness of the series is a fresh and well needed tone of representation.
Meret Eberl does not, in the best possible way, close-cut capture her protagonists and their experiences. In her compositions, there is room for questions and space for the human experience.
The series „Life without a Parachute“ shows great and grand moments in queer history and significant, far-reaching success stories, celebrated stars and individuals who fought for political achievements for the queer community far beyond the US-American context.
Lou Fajardo shows everyday heroes in the Philippines who gently and tenderly create spaces of care and self-care. The series emphasizes the desire for legal protection and justice for the LGBTQIA+ communities in the Philippines.
The series House of Realness raises the question of agency and representation through stereotypical imagery and expectations of specifically gay queerness in the townships of Johannesburg, but also creates space for new, heroic imaginations.
Kuln’zu’s portrait series shows young queer people from the cultural scene of Nairobi (Kenya), visionary heroes who create spaces for visibility and representation in a powerful cultural and artistic practice.
Chantal Regnault’s series is iconic. She gives us heroes that continue to echo and reverberate around the world. Ballroom is held up as a place of self-realization, of protection, of family of choice, but also of courage.
Bela Varadi’s heroes celebrate their queerness and “Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT)” identity as an enigmatic and celebratory fusion. The protagonists not only shine in the photographs themselves, expressing themselves, but are also active in activism, educational work and community work.
Pia Vogel shows that the private, the personal, the local is deeply meaningful. Queer solidarity, learning from each other and supporting each other on a direct personal level of love, care and community is powerful and heroic.
In a particularly fluid and poetic way, Cansu Yıldıran sheds light on queer people who have been subjected to violence. Through the use of documentary imaginations, Cansu Yıldıran creates a kind of mythical space for the empathetic, loving commemoration of heroes whose names have not (yet) been commemorated.
