True to its name, the new BQSA and Q Magazine-sponsored exhibit "Deviation" highlights sexual difference, using Bowdoin's own students as models.
The opening, featuring photos taken by Alanna Beroiza '09, is in conjunction with Q's release of its second magazine.
Q co-editors Isa Abney '11 and George Aumoithe '11 noted that the magazine, which also features Beroiza's photos, is the first issue to have artwork inside.
"Alanna had this idea to do a photo shoot about sexuality that deviates from the norm, so besides the photos in the magazine, some of the others we decided to blow up and do an art show as a way to release the second issue of Q and to highlight the very special pictures inside the magazine," said Aumoithe.
According to Beroiza, the photos in the show represent a collaborative effort between the magazine, the models and herself. When discussing this semester's issue of Q in September, Beroiza found that her interests in photography and sexuality coincided with Q's goal of making the new magazine different from the first issue.
"I had taken Photo I and II in my sophomore year and I ended up doing a final project in Photo II that I playfully called the 'American Crotch Series'?I think it was 12 shots of women's crotches, but not all naked," she said.
In addition to previously exploring sexuality through art, Beroiza is also working on an honors project studying sexuality.
"It's just something I'm really interested in?sexuality, but particularly sexual difference, and I find that I really like to explore it in a number of different ways academically and artistically," said Beroiza.
"It just sort of ended up being George and Isa pushing me to make really good photos," she added.
"The photos represent non-normative sex," said Abney. "They're images of what we consider queer, unusual."
When Beroiza spoke to photo subjects before a shoot, she had a conversation with them to figure out how they differed from the sexual norm.
"I wanted to come up with a project with each subject that would sort of collaboratively represent what they perceived to be sexual difference," said Beroiza. "That's how they all came out pretty differently."
Beroiza said that while she took the photos, she credits their successful creation to the energy of her subjects.
"I'm really floored by this whole experience," she said. "It really doesn't feel like it's my photos so much as it is this collaborative effort and the models coming up with these ideas and letting me work with them, and Q being the most supportive thing ever."
"I clicked a button and did some scanning and exposing on Photoshop, but other than that, I just showed up," she added.
Abney and Beroiza both said they are looking forward to the response from those who view "Deviation."
"I hope that there are people who come to the opening and get to talking," said Beroiza. "Maybe it will be a medium to discuss."
"It's exciting, because it's going to make some people uncomfortable," added Abney. "Being here at Bowdoin, we don't really see that a lot."
"Deviation" will open at 7 p.m. on Friday evening in the LaMarche Gallery.