Kameron Neal often uses his own body to talk about identity, specifically, the Black queer body. In this new work, Cosmetic Surgery, Neal instead uses text to create a unique self-portrait that considers his upbringing in the South and the power and presence of symbols that remind us of America’s complicated history.

In the video, short phrases of black text appear on a bright, light-filled background. The words flashing across the screen and the accompanying sound evoke old-school slide projectors, which were often used to show vacation or family photos, or other still images, such as artworks in art history classes. For those of us who grew up with slide projectors in the classroom or home, there is a certain nostalgia associated with the technology, perhaps alluded to in Neal’s opening line: “I KEEP HAVING FLASHBACKS.” The text that follows is anything but wistful though. Instead, Neal recounts repeatedly walking past a neighbor’s Confederate flag as a young person in North Carolina in the 2000s.

Confederate flags began reappearing in the South in the 1960s, as a direct response to the Civil Rights movement, and like many other Confederate monuments, were raised to intimidate Black people. Although Neal uses outdated technology to reflect on the past, his text is a reminder that racism persists today.

For Neal, the flag served as a warning sign. The work prompts us to consider whether it is preferable for racists to be known through their waving of incriminating symbols or for these symbols of hate to remain hidden – but not eradicated – beneath a veneer of civility.

Also included in the exhibition are a series of stop-motion short videos that explore a range of concepts, including the Black body, queer identity, self-care, anxiety, and sexuality. In Makeout/Breakout, Neal reminisces about learning to kiss—on a mirror, imagining a girl—and the reality of later real-life kisses, with boys with stubble on their upper lips.

Color Test #6 continues Neal’s fascination with mouths, while Liquid Love alludes to grooming through Neal’s repeated gesture—also using his mouth, more specifically his saliva—to tame his eyebrow.

In Eclipse, Neal’s body passes in front of a large, circular light—the “moon” of the work’s title. Spinning, falling, trying to bounce back, falling again in an endless loop. Neal’s body, partially in silhouette, discernible but somewhat veiled or obscured, is a meditation on visibility, and one’s shifting and evolving identity.

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