SPECIAL PROGRAMME 9 JULY-25 AUGUST 2022
Rathfarnham Castle

Ladies & Gentlemen
Daragh Soden

Daragh_Soden

Launch 8th Fri July 2022, 6pm
Running 9th July-7 August 2022

Address Rathfarnham Castle, D14 K3T6, Dublin

In the performance of drag, binary gender roles (male/female, masculine/feminine) can be both subverted and confirmed, offering complex and sometimes contradictory interpretations. Some of the subjects identify as gender-fluid or non- binary and live an even more complex experience of ‘identity’, but the performance of drag typically involves imitating the role of the opposite gender. And despite its sometimes superficial and flamboyant appearance, drag has a history as a deeply personal and political act.

The work both documents and questions queer individuals’ performance of their own unique identities. Similarly, Soden sets out to question himself. As a queer person, he can relate to the subjects, however, there always remains a ‘distance’ between subject and photographer. So instead of hiding behind the lens, Soden plays out his role in front of the camera, addressing the sometimes awkward relationship between the author and the subject. Like the individuals in drag, Soden both subverts and confirms the roles expected of him. Whether as an admirer, collaborator, narcissist or voyeur, he explores different dynamics with each sitting, ranging from alpha-male dominance to passive servitude. Paradoxical elements of the work are hinted at throughout.

The photographer may be gagged, bound and naked under the heel of a queen, but is still in complete control of the image. Confronting and provoking the viewer with his gaze, questions about the picture making process are posed. The idea of the photograph as a kind of mirror of the world and the idea of the mirror as an object of self knowledge are played upon. The subjects may even stand behind the camera, seen through their reflections, while the photographer sits awkwardly in front of the lens. The power relations inherent in the act of photography are disrupted and dismantled. In one image the subject holds authority by means of the shutter release. It is left to the viewer to decide who is the author and who is the subject of the work.

daraghsoden.com