Boy BANG Boy

About

Boy BANG Boy is a provocative exhibition celebrating the image of the boy. The exhibition brings together selected artists, from around the world, who work predominantly with the photographic image. The artworks presented are prevalent, whether intentional or not, of narcissism, egoism, voyeurism and the romanticism found or achieved in everyday life. Whether the artist strives for reality or created an alternative world of fantasy, photography's ability to deceive is one of its most intrinsic values and the medium's inherent voyeuristic nature cannot be denied. The internet age of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and beyond allows an entire generation to willingly broadcast its most personal moments to the world. The short clips of overtly sexualised posturing or the half-naked bathroom snap shots are a dominant form of self-expression. Gone are the manufactured idols of Saturday morning television ~ the broadcasted images of selected perfection ~ where the cool kid is the most lusted after. Today, anyone can be the star of the show. In both artistic and commercial photography there is a well established genre of the image of the boy; a staged snap shot from a fashion magazine, the lean young man with an awkward smile wearing the latest designer garms. He is Narcissus, the unobtainable beauty. Then there is the carefully composed bedroom portrait for the very public Facebook profile picture; probably shirtless, possibly less. The rise in access all areas of what was once someone's private life can be compared to the works in this exhibition - self portraiture, found image and the set piece snap shot. Quiet moments made suddenly very loud with the attitude and opinion of what it means to be a young male in an impossibly diverse world. Artists: Stuart Sandford (UK) www.stuartsandford.co.uk Ryan Pfluger (USA) www.ryanpfluger.com Sakiko Nomura (Japan) Daniel Karlsson (Sweden) www.karlssonphotography.com Eiki Mori (Japan) www.eikimori.com Jeff Hahn (Hong Kong) www.jeff-hahn.com Ignacio Lozano (Spain) www.ignacio-lozano.net Florent Routoulp (France) Boy BANG Boy is co-curated by artists Stuart Sandford and Sichi and is presented by East Gallery, London, UK. The exhibition launches on the evening of 5th August and is open to the public from 6th until 18th August 2010.