Acknowledgement of Country

BODY COPY presents constructed self-portraits responding to found texts on gay and queer hook-up sites. Mitchell Moreno scours apps and websites for adverts which are notably specific, and which fall within the scope of their physical characteristics. Moreno then creates and embodies the imagined ideal candidate through the medium of self-portrait, while the text from the advert becomes the title of the image.

Overview

Acting as stylist, set decorator, subject and photographer, each image is created in a corner of Moreno’s home. In recovery from a body dysmorphic and eating disorder, BODY COPY originated as a way of addressing the fear of being photographed, exploring the queer gaze, constructions of gender performance and creative expression as therapy. This series examines the instability of performative queer masculinities that are often imbedded and codified within material and digital cultures, along with scrutiny of photography as a medium to present authenticity.