image source: fashion-ation.netGrace Jones is a character unlike the rest and has a certain je ne sais quoi that inspires and attracts many. Maybe it’s Jones’ unique style, fierce attitude, or mere presence. Whatever her “it factor” is, I’m always astounded when looking at her photographs. The multi-talented Ms. Jones decided to challenge the “norms” of society when she sprang into the fashion industry in the 1980’s as a model whose “male” voice, Amazon-like stature, and rich dark chocolate skin color were far from ordinary. As a triple threat she has achieved success in the music, film, and modeling industries. But I am blown away at the fact that Ms. Jones continues to wow her fans through a variety of platforms at the age of 61.
The picture above is one of my absolute favorites of Jones because she perfectly portrays the concept of intersectionality. Photographer Andrea Klarin captures Jones’ extravagance and iconic style perfectly while showcasing her overlapping cultural identities. There has always been this hegemonic dominance of the white heterosexual female image—and thus, this “couture dominatrix” played out in Klarin’s culturally mixed “imaginary world” becomes quite fascinating. The interplay of masculine and feminine, high status and low status, and introverted and extroverted clothing suggests that Jones is of multiple ethnicities, classes, genders, and sexualities.
From the outlandish framing to the subtle agency used with contrasting textures and clean silhouettes, this picture gives great outlook into the model herself. Born to stand out, the photograph adds another layer to the ever-complex nature that makes up the “Queen of the Gay Discos,” aka Ms. Jones. Although this isn’t the type of shot that is plastered all over the front covers of elite magazines, it's nice to see a glimpse of what the future could hold if hegemonic standards would allow such dissidence.
From the outlandish framing to the subtle agency used with contrasting textures and clean silhouettes, this picture gives great outlook into the model herself. Born to stand out, the photograph adds another layer to the ever-complex nature that makes up the “Queen of the Gay Discos,” aka Ms. Jones. Although this isn’t the type of shot that is plastered all over the front covers of elite magazines, it's nice to see a glimpse of what the future could hold if hegemonic standards would allow such dissidence.