Beril Gulcan first saw Black Face one day at a flea market in Brooklyn, and immediately was drawn to photograph him. At first it was his outrageous attire that attracted her, yet soon after speaking with him and hearing his story, it was his powerful spirit that she wanted to capture.
Black Face is a performer, known by the name of SPOOTYMC, and expresses himself in such a way that Beril had never seen before: aggressive, sexy, funky, and most powerfully above and beyond the physical realm. His outlandish outfits reflect the folkloric stories told by his great grandfather–about the spiritual entity called Darkon who transformed into mythical creatures wearing brightly mixed matches of garments.
In her collection titled “Blackface,” Beril seeks to capture the expressive performance of this dark star, SPOOTYMC.
