PAPRIKA at Poem 88, Atlanta

By September 29, 2020
Patricia Villafañe, Boiling on the Stove, 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Poem88.
Patricia Villafañe, Claire, 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Poem88.
Patricia Villafañe, Maria, 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Poem88.
Patricia Villafañe, Show Legs, 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Poem88.

A true joy of being a femme is the mutability inherent in the identity. The way it swims and affixes itself to the other identities we wear as coats—Latinx, queer, mother, Black, Southern, all of them—and shifts according to our whims. Photography is one of the best mediums to document this fluidity—in particular, the immediate, ephemeral, contradictory format of instant photography. The pictures develop quickly, allowing the artist to process immediate feedback. But they are also small, fragile, sensitive to harsh light, and unless carefully preserved, far more prone to disintegration than other photographs. Patricia Villafañe’s photos, self-portraits, and carefully arranged portraits of others reflect how she processes that immediate feedback. What is shown instantly? What receives emphasis, lasting forever? If nothing else, PAPRIKA reinforces the one unmoving aspect of femme identity—that no one else gets to set its definition but femmes themselves.

— Jasmine Amussen

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Patricia Villafañe, Kundalini, 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Poem88.
Patricia Villafañe, Claire, 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Poem88.
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Patricia Villafañe, Me as Mami, 2020.
Courtesy the artist and Poem88.

PAPRIKA opens at Poem 88 on October 2 and will remain on view until October 30. Please visit Poem 88 for information on COVID-19 restrictions relating to the viewing.

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