This research sheds light on the complex artistry of Korean-born photographer Nikki S. Lee. Although Lee\u27s work initially appears straightforward and casual, this essay explores how photographs in  The Hip Hop Project  and  The Tourist Project  actually reinforce and critique specific cultural stereotypes. In performing different ethnic and cultural identities for her photographs, Lee also investigates what it means to one\u27s own identity to be labeled part of a specific community

Yarborough, Haley

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Bridges: A Journal of Student Research Issue 10 Article 7 2016 Identity, Community, and Nikki S. Lee Haley Yarborough Coastal Carolina University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/bridges  Part of the Photography Commons, and the Visual Studies Commons Recommended Citation Yarborough, Haley (2016) "Identity, Community, and Nikki S. Lee," Bridges: A Journal of Student Research: Vol. 10 : Iss. 10 , Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/bridges/vol10/iss10/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Office of Undergraduate Research at CCU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Bridges: A Journal of Student Research by an authorized editor of CCU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact commons@coastal.edu. Issue 10: 2016 |???Haley YarboroughHaley Yarborough became interested in visual arts at a young age in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where she grew up. She is now a junior at Coastal, where she is working toward a major in Graphic Design and a minor in Photography. Her work as a freelance photographer has deepened her interest in learning more about digital ?????????????????????????????????? ??????? ?????????????????????????????????????????help shape her career as a creative professional in photography.????| Bridges: A Journal of  Student ResearchIdentity, Community, and Nikki S. LeeAbstractThis research sheds light on the complex artistry of  Korean-born photographer Nikki S. Lee. Although Lee’s work initially appears straightforward and casual, this essay explores how photographs ???????? ??? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????stereotypes. In performing different ethnic and cultural identities for her photographs, Lee also ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????Nikki S. Lee is a Korean artist and photographer who is best known for her series Projects? ??????????????????? ????????? ????????? ?? ? ????????? ???? ?????????????????particular American subcultures. As part of  her creative process, Lee immerses herself  in each subject group, spending time with a group, studying its distinctive clothing, style, and activities. She then alters her own physical appearance to blend into the group in photographs. Although her presence is the common factor between all of  the photographs, the portraits are not of her but rather are intended to suggest the popular image attached to a given subculture’s identity. Lee’s photographs both reinforce and critique cultural stereotypes. By performing different ethnic and cultural ??????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????1Lee’s background, childhood, and upbringing have a lot to do with who she is as a photographer and why she chooses to explore the ideas evident in her Projects. Born ??? ???????????? ??? ?????????? ????? ??????????? ??? ????? ???? ???????? ?????????????Originally named Lee Seung-Hee, she changed her name after seeing an issue of  Vogue featuring the model Niki Taylor, which indicates her evolving artistic focus on identity creation. After all, models change their appearance constantly for different assignments and take on various “characters.” Lee’s choice of  name may not have been this intentional, but it does reveal her early fascination with identity, even if  subconsciously. She began the Projects series as a graduate student without a clear sense of  how it would eventually turn out.2Lee approaches each of  her series with the same basic methods and purpose; however, each collection, based on the subculture she is working with, is unique. Lee informs her subjects from the beginning of  what she is doing and wants to accomplish.? Critics might say this affects the authenticity of  subjects’ behaviors toward her; however, it also grants her direct access to the characteristics that the subjects 1 Maurice Berger, “Picturing Whiteness: Nikki S. Lee’s Yuppie Project,” Art Journal 60 (2001): 54.2???????????????????????????????????? ??????? ? ??????????????????????????????? ?????????????   Chicago Art Journal 18????????????????Jane Harris, “Nikki S. Lee: When in Rome,” Artext (2002): 44-47.Issue 10: 2016 |???Haley Yarboroughthemselves believe most distinguish their particular group. Because of  this, the subjects potentially are able to determine how they are represented.Lee often also has herself  photographed by someone from the community she’s portraying. In some cases, a stranger passing by or a friend who is accompanying her will take the photograph.4 The person who takes the photo is important because ??? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????would likely frame or compose the image differently from a member of  the group itself.Though perception is a factor in Lee’s Projects, her main focus is on performing identity. When writing on the motivations behind Lee’s work, Jane Harris states that ???????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??? ?????????????????????[H]er resulting personas enact a kind of  representational mobility that is nothing more than a contemporary guise for the human impulse to belong.”5 Through these Projects, Lee is constantly seeking her identity in relation to others. The entire series began as a search for self-identity, which she accomplishes by looking at different cultural communities. Her work communicates that identity is merely a matter of  choice and that one can really be whatever or whomever he or she wants.6 Lee ??????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????inscribed, as it has often been seen in the past.7All but one of  Lee’s Projects takes place in America and shows American culture. Growing up, Lee learned about American culture through television.? As a Korean, Lee is able to see America objectively, as a relative outsider, and portray “the melting ???????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Diverse ethnic communities are featured in both her Tourist Project and Hip Hop Project. One image in particular from Lee’s Hip Hop Project represents the overarching message of  the series. In this particular photograph, titled “The Hip Hop Project (1),” Lee is shown with African-American companions in the back seat of  a car. Cherise Smith observes, “her black blouse, with its cleavage-revealing neckline, glistening chain-link belt, and silky head-cover are in keeping with her cohorts’ ensembles.”10 4 Berger, “Picturing Whiteness,” 54.5 Harris, “Nikki S. Lee,” 44-47.6 Cherise Smith, Enacting Others: Politics of  Identity in Eleanor Antin, Nikki S. Lee, Adrian   Piper, and Anna Deavere Smith?????????? ??? ?????????????????????????????????7????????????????? ???????????? Harris, “Nikki S. Lee,” 44-47.???????????????????????????????? ??????? ? ????????????????????10 Smith, Enacting Others, 217.???| Bridges: A Journal of  Student ResearchLikewise, she seems to take posture cues from the only other woman in the frame as she lifts her sunglasses in a casually seductive manner.11  This photograph, as well as many of  her others, has an untrained, amateur quality.12 The man in the right side of  the frame is cut out, there is a glaring hot spot on Lee’s face, and the man’s knees on which she is leaning are a bright focal point.?? This style, which is often associated with the straight photography and observation techniques of  photographers including Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine, lends her photograph a snapshot aesthetic.14????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?authenticity and realism that have come to be associated with this type of  photography. The moment Lee includes herself, the authenticity is challenged and the photograph is no longer a straightforward snapshot of  friends but instead turns into an intentional, artistic statement on race. For instance, upon further study, the viewer notices that the subjects’ complexions appear to be similar in the image, signaling that Lee colored her skin in an attempt to look like the companions surrounding her.15 Despite her darkened skin, the group does not appear racially homogenous; instead, her makeup highlights their ethnic differences and brings important subjects into the foreground.16This photograph is a prime example of  how Lee makes visible identifying qualities that are otherwise unseen or overlooked in each culture she enters and portrays.17 Knowing she is an outsider and does not naturally possess any of  the qualities she appropriates, the viewer is aware that she has altered herself  to resemble her subjects. Because of  this, she is able to render these qualities obvious while still representing ???????? ?????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????in its exploration of  the relationships between racial minorities in the United States, ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????communities have shared similar experiences of  disenfranchisement, oppression, and discrimination.?? It is interesting then that Lee appears to be playing with the idea of  traditional blackface in order to look part of  the African- American community. She does this deliberately to draw attention to a history of  racism and, while it is clear she 11????????????12 Ibid.?? Ibid.14 Smith, Enacting Others??????15????????????16Ibid.17 Berger, “Picturing Whiteness,” 54.?? Smith, Enacting Others??????Issue 10: 2016 |???Haley Yarboroughis performing blackface, she is also yellow-facing.?? Her eyeliner is extended far past her eye and she assumes a very Asian persona in an effort to “double up her Asian.”20 The offensive cultural stereotyping and representation of  both groups dates back ??? ??????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????a militant liberation organization to defend against yellow-and blackface.21 Cultural crossovers are extended further via the consumption of  hip- hop by young Asians and the fascination with martial arts by African-Americans.22 This exchange remains an important part of  each subculture, something that Lee clearly hopes to convey with this series of  photographs.The Tourist Project????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ????????? ???????stereotypes, outward appearance, and relationships within ethnic communities. One representative photograph, titled “The Tourist Project (10),” shows Lee herself  on the observation deck of  the Empire State Building. She is dressed in a t-shirt, wearing sunglasses and a camera around her neck, and carrying a backpack.?? This series was one of  her initial four that all portrayed typical individuals one would likely come in contact with in lower Manhattan where she lived.24 Each of  the projects relies on “dress code” as a familiar way of  categorizing groups of  people.25 In the Empire State Building image, Lee stands centered within a group of  people all clearly recognizable as tourists. Other than the fact that she appears to be on an observation deck where ???? ?????? ??? ?? ??????????? ???? ? ???? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ???????????????exactly she is. She is centered in the image but the picture is cropped fairly far out, showcasing a lot of  the crowd around her. Even though some of  the people in the frame are also Asian, and we assume that all of  the people in the frame are tourists (and thus belong to the same larger community of  outsiders), the subjects do not necessarily know each other. Here, Lee suggests that identity and community are not always synonymous. Dress codes, like those shown in The Tourist Project, along with ethnicity, separate people from outsiders but also allow for easy recognition of  insiders.26 The image of  a tourist has become incredibly stereotyped but because of  Lee’s surroundings, the stereotype is not unfounded. Lee states in an interview, “When I started the project, typical images of  each social group hadn’t been formed ?? Ibid., 220.20Ibid.21????????????22 Ibid.??????????????24 Ibid.25????????????26???????????????| Bridges: A Journal of  Student Researchin me.” She explains that she relied on intuition and images she had seen on television.27 An image such as this demonstrates how Lee uses common stereotypes as important identifying elements. The subject of  race is certainly not excluded from this image. The label “tourist” can refer to any race or group, but it is usually restricted to people ?? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????? Some might see Lee dressed as a middle-class Asian-American, while others might assume she’s the generic Japanese sight-seer. In this way, Lee challenges the viewer’s perception, biases, and concepts of  ethnic identity.“The Hip Hop Project (1)” and “The Tourist Project (10)” show two very different cultures but communicate similar concepts. The latter suggests the actual idea of  being an outsider—a cultural tourist—while the former captures the very personal space, expressions, and mood of  a subculture with an outsider (Lee herself). Lee’s presence in both and her ability to appear to belong in each shot ties them together ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????although her very presence there alters the concept of  what it means to be a member in that particular group. When one becomes part of  a group, one is no longer an ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ?????surroundings, her surroundings become part of  her identity. A person can have his or her own ideals and qualities, but can only ever identify with, not as.Nikki Lee’s work in Hip Hop Project and Tourist Project?????????????????????????????identity is ever-changing and adaptable. In both, she appears simultaneously as part ?? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????? ????????various racial and ethnic groups but, removed from context, can only be seen as stereotyped caricatures. Both images discussed here portray strong stereotypical scenes and imagery in order to critique the negative stigma surrounding stereotypes. ?????????????????????????????? ??????????? ??????????? ? ????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ?????????????????????? ???? ????????? ???? ?????????????? ?her own ethnicity in her ability to be accepted by and to represent a wide variety of  communities.?? In portraying herself  as a range of  ethnic characters, the viewer is able to distinguish between particular communities’ identifying—and often stereotyped—traits.?? Throughout her work, Lee seeks to break down the social, racial, and political barriers surrounding identity and leaves the viewer to wonder what identity and community truly mean in terms of  his or her own American subculture.27??????????????????????????????? ??????? ? ?????????????????????????????????????? ????????????? Smith, Enacting Others, 206.?? Kaplan, Louis. American Exposures: Photography and Community in the Twentieth Century.  ?????????????????????????????? ? ???????????????????????????Issue 10: 2016 |???Haley YarboroughBibliographyBerger, Maurice. “Picturing Whiteness: Nikki S. Lee’s Yuppie Project.” Art Journal 60, no. 4 (2001): 54. Art Source, EBSCOhost. Accessed 20 November 2015.Harris, Jane. “Nikki S. Lee: When in Rome.” Artext no. 77 (2002): 44-47. Art Source, EBSCOhost. Accessed 20 November 2015.Kaplan, Louis. American Exposures: Photography and Community in the Twentieth Century. Minneapolis: University of  Minnesota Press, 2005.???????????????????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????????????????????S. Lee.” Chicago Art Journal ??? ???????? ?????? Art Source, EBSCOhost. Accessed 20 November 2015.“Museum of  Contemporary Photography.” Museum of  Contemporary Photography. Accessed December 1, 2015. http://www.mocp.org/detail. php?t=objects&-type=browse&f=maker&s=Lee, Nikki S.&record=1.Smith, Cherise. Enacting Others: Politics of  Identity in Eleanor Antin, Nikki S. Lee, Adrian Piper, and Anna Deavere Smith. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2011.

Identity, Community, and Nikki S. Lee

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Identity, Community, and Nikki S. Lee

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