"Submission" at the Brooklyn Museum invites viewers to engage in a thoughtful exploration of sexuality, power dynamics, and the nuances of human desire. DeSana's unapologetic, visually jarring, yet stunning photographs challenge societal norms, sparking important conversations about personal agency, identity, and the boundaries of artistic expression. His distinctive visual style and boundary-pushing aesthetics have often been associated with the art and music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period during which Talking Heads emerged as a prominent and influential band of which he collaborated with on a frequent basis for a time. The treatment of the exhibit itself was committed to not only showing photographs but his contributions to zines, performance art, and collectives he’s involved in. DeSana's photos documenting club culture not only showcase the hedonistic aspects of the scene but also challenge traditional notions of beauty and identity. His images go beyond surface-level aesthetics, offering a nuanced exploration of the human experience within these underground spaces; some photos have a certain eligibility, more or less capturing the identity of the place rather than what's happening, contributing to the ongoing dialogue surrounding identity, self-expression at the time. The artist continued to resist commercialized narratives, using more abstract and unconventional ways to photograph even after contracting AIDS early in his life.
It’s hard to say it was all seamless though. At times the show felt a little crowded for its own good, having such a vast variety of stylistic choices, some groups of photos didn’t necessarily have a sense of cohesion with the ones next to them. The exhibit was just perhaps too big. There was a large room separated from the rest of the show by a hallway that almost read as a different show entirely at first glance.
- Matt V.
I was initially uninterested in DeSana's use of colored gels and nudity in his work, and I agree that at times the show felt overwhelming in the quantity and stylistic choices. However, I later came to appreciate the attention to detail in the curation of the exhibit. Drew Sawyer, who was involved with the curation of the show, spoke to the Pratt Photography Department about DeSana's work in its entirety and "Submission." I had enjoyed the room lit with red LED lights when we first visited Brooklyn Museum, because I assumed it was referring to the red safe lights used in photography darkrooms. I appreciated this curative choice more when Sawyer shared with us that much of DeSana's work was viewed under red safe lights during the 1970s when this group of work was produced. While I felt uninterested in some of DeSana's stylistic choices, I was able to enjoy the presentation of his photographic work.
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