This post relates to me only in that it is on behalf of my better half.

Two years ago, Darby Gieringer embarked on a term project for a Gender Studies Honors Colloquium taught by Dr. David Fredrick at the University of Arkansas. In this project, she photographed 30 people nude and analysed how their poses reflected society-based gender roles.

This one-class project eventually turned into her honors undergraduate thesis. She photographed 70 more people, about evenly split between males and females (and one transsexual), for a total of 100. Most people said afterwards that the experience was very “liberating.” Its title, Project XXX comes simply from what it was lovingly called by its participants.

She received a SURF research grant from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to do her project–something that noone, not even her advisor or herself, thought would happen due to the conservative nature of the ADHE and the outlandishness of the project. You can see an article about it on The Arkansas Traveler here.

While not part of her actual thesis project, Darby is going to have an exhibition showcasing her photographs in the Anne Kittrell Art Gallery in the student union at the University of Arkansas.She has printed 30 of her 100 photographs, all in black and white, all on metallic paper.

All of the photographs are anonymous; either each photograph was taken with the face out of the frame, it was cropped out during post-processing, or the subject had turned away from the camera. Participants were allowed to choose any pose they wished, and chose one out of three frames taken to best represent themselves for the project.

The reception for the exhibition will be on Thursday, February 25, 2010, from 5-7pm in the Anne Kittrell Gallery in the union. A gallery talk led by Dr. David Fredrick, Director of the Humanities department and Darby’s thesis advisor, Dr. Jennifer Hoyer, Associate Professor of German, and Darby herself will all be speaking. Coffee and desserts will be provided.
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UPDATE 03/05/2010

The project has been getting a lot of attention. First of all, the reception had a tremendous turnout, and all of the speakers did quite well. The gallery has had more visitors during Darby’s project than they usually get in months; on the opening day, it got more visitors than it usually gets in a week.

Darby was featured on The Arkansas Traveler’s site, on UATV, and also on the local KNWA news station. Even the UA chancellor supposedly went to see the exhibit, and they have now hung paper on the windows that look into the gallery–it should be noted that the black paper they originally placed was soon replaced with yellow paper because they deemed the black to be too ‘erotic.’ There is talk of the project being taken down early due to the supposed ‘controversy’ that’s being aroused (pun intended), but if that happens, a faculty-led offensive is likely to ensue. I say if you don’t like it, don’t go see it.

Stay tuned…

UPDATE: Another follow up post: http://www.ironsidephotography.com/569/