Nikki S.Lee

Layers, Prague 2, 

2007 Prints and multiples, Digital C-Print 88 x 71.5 in.                          

Portraits always have the ability to be boring and plain. People try to add more meaning to a photo through the use of the environment and other tricks. But Nikki S. Lee’s portraits go beyond this simple concept to create a piece that shows multiple moments. I really like her portraits due to the shifts in opacity between the two different images. She did this through manipulating the different images when exposing. This shift between two identities reflects how she was constantly moving to a new area. Experiencing new cultures and different lifestyles. Her work is an echo of Cynthia Morris Sherman's famous Portraits. Like Cynthia she uses different depictions on herself. But her portraits are not depiction of characters. I see them as a version of herself. Although Lee is recognizable in each image, she appears slightly different, emphasizing the artist’s interest in the fluidity of identity and the role of personal relationships in one’s sense of self. Representing how people can change and adapt as they grow up. 

There is also a sense of cultural identity. She grew up in seoul Korea and moved to New York. She has also traveled for other photography projects. Her other works focus around her exploring how more intimate group relationships affect personal identity. She Loves street photography and many of her photo projects revolve around specific American subcultures, including yuppies, swing dancers, drag queens, hip hop fans, and senior citizens. Once accepted into the group,  Lee photographs’ them over a period of weeks or months, providing concrete evidence of her assimilation into the group.  Once Lee feels that she has enough images for a series, a process that can last anywhere from several weeks to months, she then exits the group to begin preparation for her next project. Becoming a part of these different communities shaped who Lee became. Opening her eyes to different mindsets and experiences. Lee believes that individual identity is fluid and that her Projects were extensions of herself. A way to represent her own shifting identity