Transpose

TRANSPOSE Photographs by Jean-François Bouchard Interested in marginalized members of society, Jean-François Bouchard photographed individuals who are a part of the growing transgender community from across the globe. This body of work both documents and raises important questions about our society’s attitude towards this rapidly evolving reality. In photographs, as with individuals, there is more than meets the eye. Working in the tradition of classical portraiture, the artist invites us to question our own prejudices and our society’s stereotypes. Behind each portrait lies a more profound transgender reality. Transpose brings to light the complexity of individuals who modified their body to become the truest expression of their inner self. The transgender community argues that gender is not simply “binary” (male/female) as commonly believed, but is rather a complex system that includes all shades of variants between the two poles. The historical distinction between the physicality of the body and the psychology of the mind is becoming increasingly blurred. Scientific advances in the fields of hormone therapy, surgical procedures and sociological changes are opening a wide range of new possibilities. This is true for people experiencing gender dysphoria (a gender nonalignment between mind and body) as well as for intersex people (individuals born with an ambiguous sexual anatomy making it difficult to define them as “male” or “female”) – a condition affecting up to 1 in 2,000 newborns. Thanks to these scientific advancements, individuals can make their own decisions and act upon what previously appeared to be an ultimate, immutable, and definite fate: gender. As gay rights have been the object of heated social and political debates over centuries, it’s fair to assume that this reality is also likely to ignite prejudice, questioning, and, eventually, acceptance as it becomes better known and understood. Bouchard’s classical approach in these works highlights the normality of each portrait. In Bouchard’s photographs, most observers will initially be struck by the startling physical transformations the subjects underwent to transition from female to male. However, the artist hopes that viewers will look past this first-degree interpretation and delve into the process and ramifications of the transformations. How does a man cope with his gay girlfriend now dating a man and no longer a woman? How about a mother about to become a second father to her/his children? The social, professional, and personal challenges of the transformations are so deep and extensive that most members of the transgender community research and prepare their transition for years before committing to it. Consequently, post-operation regrets have been proven to be extremely low. These individuals simply feel better once their body becomes harmonious with their self-perception. Bouchard has spent more than three years researching this reality and meeting members of this community. His subjects travelled from all over the world to his studio located in Montreal. Photo shoots were also held in New York City and Los Angeles. By spending time with people at different stages of their transition, Bouchard discovered the vast complexity of the processes and transformations that female-to-males have had to undergo in their quest for physical and psychological self-alignment. But as the photographer puts it: “One thing is very simple and straightforward; I could have been roommates with any of these guys and never for a moment thought to question that they were anything other than men. Trust me, it never crosses your mind to say ‘she’ instead of ‘he’. Very quickly, you just see a person; one with dreams, aspirations, and challenges many of us share.”