Tania Camille Nasser
Things are happening quickly for 24-year-old Tania Camille Nasser, the winner of the Student Fine Art – Single Image category of The New York Photo Awards. Winners were announced mid-May, and less than a month later her first solo show opens today at the Witzenhausen Gallery in New York. Entitled “Video Girls,” the project aims to analyze black and hip-hop culture and deconstruct the women who wish to star hip-hop music videos. The six portraits are an exploration of identity and self in an age where music videos splash moving images of flashy lifestyles and overt sexuality. Nasser’s portraits, in contrast, are quietly taken in the homes of each “Video Girl.” Nasser applies the hair and make-up herself, engaging the subject in conversation before the shoot. The production of the portraits are subdued and a far cry from the glamor and pull of hip-hop music videos.
Tania Camille Nasser
Nasser has been working on the project for less than a year, culling online postings for Video Girls and even working as a Video Girl herself. “It’s fun!” she proclaims, and also, “a great source for finding new girls to photograph.” As she builds up her roster of Video Girls, she keeps in touch with past subjects as well, maintaining a collection of photographs, interviews, and videos for her ongoing project.
A California native, Nasser is currently a MFA candidate at The School of Visual Arts in New York. Read more about Nasser’s show at the Witzenhausen Gallery.
“Video Girls” by Tania Camille Nasser
Witzenhausen Gallery
Opening: June 10th, 2010 6-8pm
547 W. 27th St. Suite 508
New York, NY
Exhibits June 10th – July 10th, 2010
Videos:
Tania gets cast in a rap video
Jasmin Hernandez interview
Pea Perry interview
Tania and Miami auditioning for a music video
