Jack Pierson

Jack Pierson's Self-Portrait #3 and Self-Portrait #28 were displayed in the National Portrait Gallery's Hide and Seek exhibit. Jack Pierson is a photographer and artist. He studied at Massachusetts college of art and has been successful ever since. His works include photos along with collages, word sculptures, installations, drawings, word art and artists books. His works are in many major museums world wide and he has had many solo exhibitions world wide since 1990 such as Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Dublin and London.

His work is an exploration of the emotions of everyday life and his collages create abstract shapes and create a narrative meaning. His series include the "Self Portrait series along with a show called "The Name of This Show is Not :Gay Art Now". He has also photographed many famous celebrities including Brad Pitt.

The photos I specifically saw and chose were Self- Portrait #3 and Self Portrait #28. They both are portraits of young males half naked. Although named Self-Portrait none of the portraits are of himself. I believe the portraits are named self-portraits because with every portrait he is revealing a different side of himself. Or maybe not of himself but rather of what he wishes to be. Maybe he wishes to be that stereotypical jock, famous, handsome male and the other half may be the shy, secluded and vulnerable young male. Each photo in this series shows a young male with an expression and the body language showing vulnerability yet confidence. Although the subjects are half naked, and are of an age that this state makes them look vulnerable and timid. Yet other portraits show that these males are comfortable in their skin or atleast they want to seem that way. They have a sexual confidence about them and this is shown in todays contemporary youth.

Specifically, #3 is a portrait of a typical television male, handsome, masculine and confident. With this series the statement of how sexuality is in everyday life. How the media perceives people as being the perfect people. They only show the most handsome and best. Within every photo Pierson takes there is an invisible person, himself. The photographer himself is within every photo.

These photos are very well taken and composed. There was great though that went into these from the placement of the subjects, to the background that conveys additional meaning. Also, the clothes and facial expressions and the lighting add to the story being conveyed by these portraits.