| Claude Cahun |
A ghost in kiss curls: how Gillian Wearing and Claude Cahun share a mask
The National Portrait Gallery is bringing together the works of two artistic visionaries exploring the complexities of identity in different eras
Adrian Searle
Sunday 8 January 2017
W
ith hearts on her cheeks, kiss curls on her forehead and cupid’s bow lips, Claude Cahun stares out at us in a small black and white photograph, taken in 1927. Her gaze is steady. Do you dare look at me, she seems to say, meeting the photographer’s gaze. The phrase I AM IN TRAINING DON’T KISS ME is emblazoned on her leotard. Her outfit makes me think of a circus act.