How does Jono Rotman and Danny Alexander use portraiture to represent different identities? 

“The feeling communicated by this body of work is that its subjects are hanging onto their identities by a fragile thread” (Roswell Angier in Train Your Gaze, 2007) 

I wish to explore the intimacy that portraiture allows the viewer to have with the subject model in the photograph, with particular focus on body adornments such as tattooing. I chose this topic as I have recently been exposed to some discrimination and negative feedback over having four tattoos myself at a young age. I wish to challenge these views and demonstrate the meaning and importance of tattoos as art and show why someone would choose to mark themselves with their memories. I will be analysing specific images by Jono Rotman and Danny Alexander. I chose these artists as their work is just as different as they are similar; both artists have their subject models in a neutral setting to emphasise the focus of the tattoos. For example, in Rotman’s work, clothing is used within the photograph, which makes the body art less subjective, allowing viewers to connect the images of the member with all the factors and aspects within the photograph. However, Danny Alexander uses softer, more direct lighting to Rotman, with plain, black clothing, this effect opens the meaning of the art up and almost leaves it to the viewer to piece the clues together and create what identity they think the model portray. Considering the topic in which I have decided to dive in to, I will be looking deeper into how these aspects of portraiture represents one’s identity, including the accuracy and inaccuracy of meaning. Within this project, I will be exploring the photographic gaze of my models, experimenting with different expressions, poses, settings, styling (clothing and make-up), angles and lighting techniques. I intend to photograph in the style of Alexander, to bring a more plain, monotone atmosphere of portraiture, with a mixture of wide and short frame photos, to focus in on individual pieces, pairing them with an image of handwritten note (by the model in the photo) of what they mean to them or to why they got it. Identity is the way we perceive and express ourselves. People’s experiences throughout their lives can alter and change their identities. Their identities also influence the decisions they make: Individuals choose their friends, adopt certain fashions, and align themselves with political beliefs based on their identities. Many artists use their work to express, explore, and question ideas about identity. Portraiture is the best technique to capture the essence of one’s identity due to the uses of lighting, backdrops, instructing the model and all round, gives both the photographer and model to have control of how little or how much insight is given into one’s identity. Portraiture is an old art form going back at least to ancient Egypt, where it flourished from about 5,000 years ago. Before the invention of photography, a painted, sculpted, or drawn portrait was the only way to record the appearance of someone. But portraits have always been more than just a record. They have been used to show the power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste, learning or other qualities of the sitter. However, there are those that have different views on art. Some Christians misinterpret passages from the bible, for example in Leviticus 19:28 “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves.” (James 2016) As to the bible demonstrating the sin against many forms including tattooing, but the truth of this verse is to example the sin of ancient practises of witchcraft.  The form of portraiture that I am focusing on relates the most to the realism movement which rejects imaginative idealization in favour of a close observation of outward appearances, therefore based more directly on what someone looks like without artifice. This relates to my subject matter as the artists I have chosen to study traditionally follow, perhaps unintentionally, realism in portraiture, rarely steering off into other movements. Unlike pictorialism which was the movement of art that was the construction of an alternative reality, realism focuses in on what is there in front of the lens.   

Jono Rotman uses portraiture to explore different identities in his book Mongrelism. Throughout his photos, he photographs mob members in natural lighting within their own environments and within their own clothing, with some photos highlighting jackets, helmets, and their own children. This allows the members to feel more comfortable as the Mongrel Mob has a stringent code against outsiders, having the photoshoots in their territory prevents stripping the mob of their power and therefore identity, making the final book more powerful and intriguing. Rotman also included the members in the editing process and how the work would be used. In relation to my subject matter, Rotman focuses on their tattoos. To the Mongrel Mob, tattoos signify stories of their cultural past. One tattoo seen frequently across members is of the mob ‘patch,’ this is the infamous British bulldog wearing a helmet, tended to be presented to those considered loyal and trustworthy enough to be in the gang. This loaded iconography emblazoned across their faces reflects both an aggressive response to their feeling of long-standing mistreatment and the gang’s commitment to offending mainstream society. The fact that this project has a documentary approach adds to the ideas of the project being an extension to their personalities, showing a fair and balanced view to their lives due to Rotman going forward onto this with no judgement, only investigating a certain lifestyle.
Rotman himself, has said that, ‘he felt the weight of precedence of photography depicting people seen as other” and Mongrelism works to address photography’s historical sense of entitlement.’ (Rotman). What Rotman is alluding to here, is the fact that photography, and in particularly documentary photography has from its outset always tended to turn the lens on groups of society which are marginalised. In other words subjects are photographed to represent a stereotype, which Rotman himself is very aware of in his work.

This photograph of Shano Rouge from chapter MMX. The member is sat hunched over with his hood up, this shows the power and intimidation this person holds over the photographer, however, due to the camera angle, the photographer and member are at the same level, this can resemble the bond and trust that Rotman formed with the mob during the project. The photo is taken on a wider frame to his other pieces to collect all factors of the member in one photo, these being the jacket covered in the mob patch, the old black hoodie and leather trousers, also suggesting his role of the mob of being a biker. Focusing in on his face, it is clear of his loyalty to the mongrel mob. Over his face, you can see the words dog, mobster, and rouge, which we know is either his last name or position/ title from the caption on his page. The way that the member stares directly down the camera lens demonstrates that the member has a connection to the camera as well as the photographer, potentially projecting the bond formed with the model and photographer and shifting it to the model and viewer, showing a sense of vulnerability and reminding the viewer that the mob members are still people with emotions and their own identity, not one that is assumed by society due to stereotypes. “While some of the photos do contain the feeling of menace and bravado expected from one of New Zealand’s most notorious gangs there are also signs of sadness and despair, especially from some of the older members.” (Black, 2019). I feel as if this statement relates to quite a few members, including the one photographed above, I see this statement in the way in which the member is almost hiding in the shadows of his hood, still fearing the disgrace and judgement that could be projected onto him; the fact that this is an older member showing these behaviours is more powerful as it demonstrates that he may have been experiencing this fear throughout his career in the Mob and has never fully accepted other people’s views of them. After reading this comment, it is more apparent looking back over the project that it is more of a common theme then we thought. Justifying this is the last part of the book; The barks as Rotman has labelled them as . Throughout, Rotman has censored parts of the conversation with a red block. Perhaps because the content is too explicit, or too gory, or in fact done for the Mongrel Mobs safety those who disapprove of their ways, or perhaps the colour red is symbolic of their gang colour red that symbolise, a blood bond between members and gang affiliates similar to meaning of ‘blood’ between members of the same family.

However, Danny Alexander takes his portraits in a studio setting, with a black back drop, artificial lighting, and clothing requirements. This allows for the only focus in the frame to be the persons tattoo, reducing how much of their identity seen and subjectively presenting their body art. Alexander tends to use flash lighting in his photos, with the exception of a strip light for an aligned spine tattoo. Flash lighting is beneficial for this form of topic matter as it limits the cause of any shadows being cast on the tattoos. Alexander has also said himself that the Skin as Canvas project is to “highlight the dualistic nature of body art; on one hand body art can be and often is self-expressive but much like any art can be interrupted differently by each viewer.” (Alexander 2015) Showing his intentions of the subjectivity of this project.  

This photo by Alexander demonstrates model with an align spine tattoo as the focus. The light source is positioned in a way to extenuate the tattoo and draw the viewers’ attention to the focus. The little soft lighting seen gives an unusual innocence that is not usually associated with tattoos, challenging the negative viewpoints, and allowing the subjectivity of body art. The studio lighting causes a contrast as it allows the photographer to move and angle the light however, he wants, it also allows the models silhouette and surroundings to be seen, this may be done as a reminder to the viewer of the person, showing that the tattoo is a part of someone’s identity. Lighting only the tattoo represents the darkness of space around the solar system and how broad it can be and how small we are to our surroundings beyond earth. This could possibly reflect how we see others around us and how we do not know the depth of all the identities around us. As the model is wearing all black clothing, it leaves viewers focusing on the tattoo. This also means that the neutral clothes give no insight to the viewer seeing their personalities or styles, leaving tattoo meaning up for interpretation by the viewer. This gives the opportunity for them to connect to the model based on the own interpretation and therefore viewing it more personally.  

Overall, I believe that Jono Rotman and Danny Alexander successfully use portraiture to represent different identities to a certain extent. Personally, I feel that Alexander could have explored his idea more in detail, expanding on his use of other camera skills, like angles, abstract views and lighting techniques. But with his idea of the project being an open interpretation contradicts those negatives, allowing everything to be seen and exposed to the viewer and leaving the thoughts in their own hands, giving a hazy and unsure identity. However, Rotman uses his techniques to instead leave the emotions of the model open for interpretation instead of their identity, presenting a clear projected, external identity, meaning that he is showing the viewer exactly who they are and what they do, but less of an internal identity within themselves. I will be using a mixture of aspects from both photographers depending on what is necessary, moving forward with Alexanders statement of body art being subjective to the viewer. However, to follow up on contextual issues regarding tattoos, most of all the images I make will be found next to either a photo of a person, object, or hand written note. Showing the memories these pieces have and their importance to their person.

Bibliography 

Alexander, D (2015) Skin as canvas [online] Available at https://dannyalexander.com/blog/2015/10/21/new-project-skin-as-canvas. Accessed on 27 Jan 2022

Anglier, R (2007) Train your gaze Switzerland, AVA publishing  

Black, P (2019) mongrelism – reviewed [online] Available at https://www.photoforum-nz.org/blog/2019/8/28/mongrelism-reviewed . Accessed on 20 Jan 2022

James, K. (2016) Holy Bible King James Version. William Collins; UK ed. edition.

Lineberry, C (2007) Tattoos [online] Available at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tattoos-144038580/ . Accessed on 15 Jan 2022