Matthew Morrocco is an MFA candidate at Columbia University. In 2012 he was awarded a year-long fellowship with a blade of grass, an organization dedicated to socially engaged art practices. His work has been shown in New York and Berlin. His most recent work, The Portrait Series, was shown at Temp Art Space in New York in 2014. Today we take a look at Matthew’s Berlin series.
These photographs and self-portraits employ the elongated and elegant poses of history painting in order to link sexuality, aging, and the history of portrait art. In the same way that sexuality does not simply begin at adolescence and end around age 45, neither did homosexuality only become relevant in the 20th century.
Yet, with Supreme Court Justices comparing the institution of gay marriage to cell-phones in terms of its historical relevancy, it is not surprising that homosexuality seems like a 20th-century imposition. In referencing history painting I suggest that homosexuality is pre-historical and congenital, having existed alongside all forms of sexuality, though underrepresented in public historical imagery. I meet, spend time with, photograph, and enjoy the company of strangers all in the hopes of elucidating the unique characteristics of homosexual intimacy.
To view more of Matthew’s work please visit his website.