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Bobbi, 83, Detroit, MI

Series TitleTo Survive on This Shore
Artist Jess T. Dugan (American, born 1986)
Date2014
MediumInkjet print
DimensionsImage: 24 1/16 × 18 1/16 inches (61.11 × 45.87 cm)
Sheet: 28 × 22 1/16 inches (71.12 × 56.03 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation
Object number2019.39.3
SignedSigned on sheet verso, bottom, in black pen: "JESS T. DUGAN [signature]"
InscribedOn sheet verso, bottom, in black pen: "BOBBI, 83, MI, 2014 4/10"
Markingsnone
Edition/State/Proofed. 4/10
On View
Not on view
Collections
DescriptionImage of an older woman looking down at a small airplane she holds in her hands. She has short hair and is wearing glasses, red lipstick, and a white shirt with bright blue pants. She is standing in front of a window with white curtains and a matching valance.Gallery Label

In this portrait, veteran Bobbi holds a model airplane. The object references her past, when she served in the Air Force and worked extensively with the CIA’s drone program. Bobbi transitioned to a woman later in life. She reflects: “I’m proud of both lives. I’m proud of both ‘me’s, if you will. I feel it has been a remarkable thing to have happened to a person. I’m grateful.”

 

Photographer Jess T. Dugan and their partner, Vanessa Fabbre, conceived of the project To Survive on This Shore to better represent trans and gender-nonconforming elders. They conducted interviews and made portraits of people who offer insight into the experience of living authentically while overcoming legal and societal obstacles.

 

Provenance
Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2019;
Purchased from Catherine Edelman Gallery by the Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2019;
Given by the Hall Family Foundation to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2019.
Copyright© Jess T. Dugan
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.


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