By Cristina Martinez
February 16th, 2023
"Buzz Slutzky: For Example"
From January 26th to April 30th, 2030 artist Buzz Slutzky's exhibition For Example is on display at the Project Room at BRIC House. Slutzky is a transgender/ non-binary multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY. All of their works within this exhibition are based on instructional manuals, textbooks, catalogs, and family scrapbooks, many from the 1950s-70s. Within all of these works, there is a recurring sense of going against the grain and challenging conventions.
There are many works within Slutsky's exhibition that challenge authority, but the ones I want to focus on are Hand Modeling: Trial and Error #1-7. This is a collection of six paintings, acrylic on canvas, of hands taken from catalogs and manuals on how to and not to hold your hands. Upon first glance, I saw these hands as very fluid and sensual. They also reminded me of when I was younger and tried to hold my hands a certain way to emulate the beauty and grace I saw in the royalty in my movies.
The use of black and white/ monochromatic colors, along with the fact the images are based on instructional hand-holding magazines, gives the series a very old-fashioned feel. The highlighting used in the first image to the right definitely shows this, it reminds me of an old black-and-white movie. Slutzky is able to capture a lot of movement in these images. There is a sense of fluidity and smoothness that is hard to emulate let alone capture.
Looking at art often leads us viewers into making comparisons and drawing conclusions influenced by outside sources. Because the images in this series are based on catalogs on how to position your hands, I asked myself the question, does what I see match the message the original source wanted viewers to take away? The answer is no, it doesn't. These manuals were used as guides on how to hold yourself in order to present a certain image to the public eye; one of grace and refinement. However, I see a remnant of the past. A time where if we put even one finger out of place we may be shunned by society. By moving away from these conventions we pull away from the shackles of the old society. There are still a lot of rules to follow when we are outside, especially when fitting in and being seen a certain way is a big deal to you. Yet, there is a lot that has changed from when these catalogs came out.
A big part of some other pieces from the exhibit comes from a self-defense instructional manual. The one image from this series that comes from a different source is Hand Modeling: Trial and Error #7. This piece is from the aforementioned self-defense manuals. This presents a duality in these images between creativity, femininity, and defense. Women are able to be prime and proper while also learning how to keep themselves safe.
It also reaffirms the ongoing theme of challenging the status quo. Rather than letting something go on as it was women are encouraged to stand up for themselves and what they want. They are allowed to defend themselves, to hold themselves in the manner of their choosing. To challenge the standards put in place by society in even the smallest of ways. The way you hold yourself contributes a big amount to how you are perceived, both internally and externally. While there are many limitations still set on the world through these gendered ideals, there is also more acceptance and fluidity in the world. It is not only women that are allowed to be feminine, and not only men that are allowed to be masculine.
Overall, Buzz Slutsky: For Example, is an amazing exhibit that gives viewers a lot to think about. While I only focused on one aspect of the show there are so many other works to explore and enjoy. They all also inform each other. From videos to pencil drawings, there is a lot to see and learn.
More on the artist.
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