cake boys: photographs, in two series
Drew Pettifer, Blindside Exhibition Space
A photographic series of sexualised images of young men. Produced in the documentary photographic artistic tradition with the significant twist that half of the images will be printed on to cake icing.
Art Exhibition
previously on
in
Melbourne
precinct,
Victoria,
Australia.
From
Thursday 12 June 2008 to Saturday 28 June 2008
Launch Thursday 12 June 2008, 6pm-8pm
Published by anonymous on Friday 06 June 2008.
Contact the publisher.
Cake boys: photographs, in two series
Cake boy[keIk b⊃I] (n)
1. Early 90’s slang for what is now termed a metrosexual
2. A male that is often confused for being gay, but is really straight
– UrbanDictionary.com
Drew Pettifer has been described as evoking “a well-known photographic tradition, spanning legendary photographer Nan Goldin, through to contemporary artists such as New York-based Ryan McGinley.”1 The two new series exhibited here feature intimate moments with the artist’s friends and lovers. One series is printed directly onto cake icing.
Five large cakes have been adorned with sexualised images of young men in varying states of undress. By printing the images onto cakes the artist creates a cheeky pun on the term “cake boy,” since all of the subjects are indeed slim, attractive and somewhat feminine, pictured in enticingly erotic poses. Curiously, none of these “cake boys” identify as gay.
More than just a pun, however, the artist’s decision to print the most salacious images in the show onto cake icing is intended to prompt the viewer to question issues of consumption and deterioration, death and decay. The materiality of the works has
Location
Blindside
Level 7
Nicholas Building
37 Swanston St
Melbourne
Open Thurs-Sat 12-6pm
