Passing of a Patriarch

Passing of a Patriarch series, 2017. Archival dye prints. Printed 10"x15".

Passing of a Patriarch takes on the queer and transgender tradition of dressing up in a family member’s clothing and trying on an identity.

These are photographs of me, in my paternal grandfather’s house, in his clothes, re-enacting his iconic pasttimes. The images are constructed as snapshots, as though my grandfather is going about his day and a family member walked in with a camera.

My grandfather passed away in early 2017, and this project was made shortly after. He was a classic business figure, a meticulous and magnanimous host, and has always been my understanding of the archetypal man. This project is an opportunity to understand what part of me comes from him, and to come to terms with the rest. This has been intimate, transgressive, and illuminating.