Erica Génécé is a New York based photographer and filmmaker. She is first-generation Haitian-American, born and raised on Long Island. Passionate and committed, she loves finding
We spoke with the artist in order to discover more about her powerfull visual narrative.
What does Haiti mean to you creatively and how does it influence your work?
Haiti is home. It ties me to all of my creativity - and really all that I am. There is so much beauty, history, strength and resilience in the country and its people. The random moments of beauty you can find, both in the whimsical and in the everyday struggle. How it’s known today versus it’s inspiring history and how the country influenced the entire hemisphere, if not the world that was once colonized. My whole family is Haitian, and I know my ancestors have my back. Haiti is probably one of my biggest influences. I carry its strength with me everyday.
How did you become interested in photography?
Photographs have been in my life for as far as I can remember. I like to say it’s in my blood. My family has always been creative, whether taking pictures or creating things. There’s evidence of me photographing and directing my cousins at a very young age. I took photos here and there in folk but just playing around when I had time. It wasn’t until my undergraduate years - majoring in something completely unrelated to photography - that I decided to go full force into taking pictures. 2021 makes it 8 years since I made that decision.
Which contemporary photographers do you admire?
There are a lot. I love Deana Lawson and her ability to capture subjects in the most intimate of spaces in the most intimate of ways. Malick Sidibé, Gordon Parks, Carrie Mae Weems. Of course now days there are so many photographers of color that are creating work that’s so different and inspiring - Nadine Ijewere, Ronan Mckenzie, Adrienne Raquel, Cary Fagan. The list goes on.
Can you talk to me aboutMarble?
Marble is a project inspired by traditional sculptures and statues around the world. I wanted to talk about the Black Body as something beautiful to be inspired by. There are lots of sculptures in the Diaspora’s history that unfortunately have never been given the same amount of praise as sculptures of other bodies. While European sculptures have always been seen as Fine Art, and something to be praised and housed in museums around the world, I found it difficult to find anything more than busts of Black subjects in those buildings. The full body sculptures I see of Black Bodies are typically in their countries, and not as much in galleries or museums. Not in fine art or classical spaces.
I’m a fan of classical music, as I’ve played the violin for many years, since a young age. I was not introduced to classical artists that looked like me, whether in classical music, or other traditional art media that would accompany said music.
I wanted to be able to take that back in every aspect I could with this piece. I wanted to show that the Black Body, in its entirety, is something to be inspired by, that deserves to be praised and has a place in the Fine Art/Classical world.
Incorporating both the West African and Greek and Roman traditions of painting sculpture, you are reframing the past with a new perspective. What kind of vision would you like to project into the future?
I think I’m always trying to reframe the past in order to give a more complete understanding of our present and subsequently, our future. My work is always about framing bodies and traditions that might not be as understood to something that all can appreciate, relate to, and understand.
The protagonists ofMarbleare five dancers with strong personalities. How did you choose them?
I did a casting! Mostly online through social media, and asking from friends. I had a ton of dancers to pick from, but wanted to make sure that they all had their own individual personalities both as dancers in terms of their style, but also in terms of their look and how they present themselves. To further talk about the idea that Black is not just one thing, but in fact is a spectrum and ranges.
How do you deal with your subjects?
Like they’re my friends. For me, picture-making is like a dance between me and my subjects. I move around them as they move, and we feel together. In order to produce the best work, I need my subjects to feel comfortable and trust me. It’s not an easy thing to ask for, especially if it’s the first time I’m photographing them. There was so much trust between myself, the dancers, and really everyone involved in that project. You could feel that on set, and it translates in the final pieces.
What does photographing naked bodies mean to you?
It feels genuine, real. It allows me to speak to something deeper and the message can’t get distracted or dampened by the beautiful clothes or looks. Photographing naked bodies forces you to stay focused on the concept.
Everyday we are overwhelmed by pictures of bodies which are often stereotyped: they perpetuate cliches that manipulate our way of seeing and interpreting beauty. In your opinion, how many 'different' images should we see in order to change our mentality?
I’m not sure if there’s a specific number for that. I think it’s just about seeing diversity and different types of beauty regularly. We all look in the mirror and don't look like these stereotyped, over sexualized photographs that we see all the time, so why would it take a bunch of images to change the mentality. It’s been long overdue that we realize that beauty means so many different things, and we should be celebrating ALL aspects of beauty.
What risks have you taken with this personal project?
There were a whole ton of risks included in this shoot. I had never photographed nude subjects before. It’s something I wanted to do, but wasn’t sure if I had the right concept for it until Marble. It took a lot for me to ask the dancers because one of the most important things to me is making sure my subjects are comfortable. Model comfort is another reason why I never did a nude shoot.
This was a pretty involved project, with a good amount of people involved. Making sure they were all comfortable with the nudity, and being on set, especially during Covid times, was at the top of my mind.
This project shows some of the things that linger deep in my mind. Sometimes it’s hard for me to present something other than the more conventional work, but fine art with deep meanings are really what’s typically on my mind. It was a risk to start showing the fine art side of my mind but it was the right time.
To what extent do social and political issues influence your creativity?
They fuel a lot of the work that I do. History is tied to social and political issues of the time, and I feel the best way for me to process, heal, and share what’s on my mind is by creating. Whether that’s something like Marble, which is putting people in the places I feel they have always deserved to be in, or a project like Liberty&Justice, a portrait/interview piece I worked on in response to the senseless murders in 2020, the subsequent Black Lives Matter Protests, and just the state our country was in at that time. I try to process historical moments through my work. It’s almost like a form of therapy.
What do you think should be done to tackle the lack of diversity in the photography world?
People and publications of influence need to step outside of their comfort zones and give people a chance. Bring people that don’t look like you to the table. And not just as a “check the box” kind of thing. Bring us to the table and allow us to contribute and bring others up. Try something new.
So often I hear that “it’s hard to find photographers of color” but I think what really happens is there’s a fear that we can’t do the work as well as a company’s traditional pick without giving any opportunity to prove otherwise. There are so so many talented artists out there that are just waiting to show what they got.
I’m still working to prove myself to the institutions.
How has social media impacted your career and everyday life?
For sure. It’s one of the biggest ways I market and share my work, but I also struggle because I put too much pressure on myself. It’s the typical social media conundrum of seeing what everyone else is doing and feeling like you’re not doing enough. I try to do what I have to on social and move on and be present in the real world.
Are you more fascinated by reality or escapism?
I like a mix of both. I like creating a new reality based on a bit on escapism. I’m heavily grounded in reality and love my photos to feel that way, but I also want to depict a different future and way of life for groups of people who don’t always see themselves depicted in the escapism realm. My goal is to create work that feels like it could be an escape and fantasy, but also very much so could be someone’s life. I want to create beautiful escape feeling stories in a way that it could be a reality. It goes back to that idea of my photographs being the life that I imagine all my subjects leading - a life of happiness and fulfillment whatever that may be for them.
What are you currently working on?
Lots! Still got some great stuff in the pipeline for Marble, and have some other video and still projects coming out. Also working a bunch on the cabin so getting into a whole new realm of photography. Basically just taking other elements of my life and applying them to my photography practice. Stay tuned! I’m always sharing on my IG.
Credits
Dancers :
Synead Cidney Nichols @synead
Ian Rolen @ianrolen
Cathleen Meredith @fatgirlsdancemovement
Ashley Rose Nicholas @dancerofstorms
Patrick Gamble @asapgamble
Makeup : LB Charles @lbcharlesbeauty
Hair : Anike Rabiu @anikerabiu
Set Design : Monica Guerrero @moca_guerrero
Photo assistant : Alessandro Costantino @alescostantino
Production assistant : Priscilla Torres @stylishflaneuse