Wayfarer is a series of work Thomas was initially commissioned by The International Center of Photography for a site-specific installation in 2013. The project, made in collaboration with artist Sanford Biggers (who serves as the model in these pictures) explores notions of identity and theatricality in relationship to the starkness of the subject’s black and white suit. Inspired by 19th century vaudeville performance, the 13 images of this collection perform in subversive unison to insinuate the stark perceptions of skin tone as a mode of social identity. The hybridized subject of these pictures performs for us, gracefully balancing the dualities of his costume while considering how non-linear identities are received by the broader cultural gaze. In the broader scope, Wayfarer is a part of Thomas’ larger practice of raising questions about Blackness and how it is defined and perceived. In some respects, the pictures satirize the notion of racial identity as being so fixed and static as media culture so often tries to convince us.
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