Ostentatio Vulnerum: Display of Wounds

In this project, trans-male surgical chest wounds and scars are interpreted as visible emblems of resurrection. Subjects are in the pose known as Ostentatio Vulnerum, “display of wounds,” inviting subject and viewer into a space of transformation.

At the time of portraiture, subjects were shown a collection of various artistic renditions of the iconic image from the Gospel of John (20:19-29) where Jesus reveals his resurrected embodiment by displaying his wounds to a doubtful Thomas. Each subject was asked to choose the image that spoke to him. That image was then interpreted by the photographer when posing the subject for the portrait. The selected image was subsequently removed from the collection so no other subject could choose it.

Shooting with a medium format analog camera using black & white film, the negatives were solarized during development to obtain the Sabatier effect, which lends itself well to this vision of transformation. The subjects appear both to come from shadow into light and also to generate their own light. Pose and effect together bring forth the inner and outer transformations from which the subjects emerge.