Coco Capitán 'NAÏVY: in fifty (definitive) photographs

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Anchored in her ever-evolving photography practice, the show will exhibit the fifty definitive photographs of the artist’s now complete Naïvy series. Naïvy has captivated Capitán for over a decade. Navigating themes of adventure, belonging and loss of innocence, the series pays tribute to an imagined nautical universe: one peopled by Capitán’s ‘Lost Naïvy’ sailors. But Capitán does not present these figures as we know them. Rather than depicting them in the classic sailor suits of the 1940s, Capitán portrays her sailors with their bare lower halves, signifying a departure from the quintessential image. Her artistic exploration of the sailor’s image delves into the conflicting notions of autonomy and, tightly regulated military life, heteronormative masculinity, and latent queerness. These dichotomies are manifested in Capitán’s manipulation of the suit, with interventions such as embroidering daisies or the word ‘LOST’. The costumes themselves embody a departure from regimentation, serving as a canvas for Capitán to subvert traditional expectations and provoke deeper contemplation on the complexity of identity. This sartorial subversion transforms a traditionally homogenous and masculine garment into a symbol of liberation and non-conformity. Capitán’s series addresses similar ambiguities in depicting androgynous bodies donning irregular sailor suits, drawing on the queer history of the naval costume and toying with the notion of who is permitted to join the ranks.