PAMELA
YBANEZ
Whiteness Project
In the past subcultures often labeled as Other or minority have been studied, photographed, documented, and prodded, now a newer subject has emerged called the field of Whiteness Studies. Usually when race is being discussed Whiteness is not included in the conversation. This can be problematic as it assumes Whiteness is a standard by which all others are measured against. Instead of only addressing part of the racial inequality problem, i.e. hearing the minority voice speak of their experiences, we must also study the constructed social hierarchy in which we live. This body of work is the beginning look at trying to understand what constitutes White Culture.
While White Culture is obviously wide in scope, this body of work examines the physical. This starting point grounds the work and provides a means for demonstrating how judgments are made. These photographs are a presentation of a wide array of available European skin tones that I encountered during the span of this project (roughly over 3 years). Gathering these samples has lead to many interesting conversations with those individuals and has raised even more questions. For instance, what are the boundaries of “Whiteness” and “American”? Where do they meet and separate?
Exhibited at Wailoa Gallery in 2007
Sixty five digital photos (8x11" each) of European descent skin tones.
Exhibited at Wailoa Gallery in 2007