Talk about instructing your audience.

Today, Aline features Mark Laita‘s diptychs; (somewhat) obvious pairings of rich/poor, winner/victim. The couplet of astronaut/alien abductee is unexpected and clever.

I am always reluctant to use violent as an adjective to describe prisoners. I know that most prisoners are not in their nature violent. Most of the time, hard appearances are necessary as a front to aggression that may or may not exist.

In this instance, the counter-portrait of cheerleaders compels me to use violent as an adjective. Regardless of it’s uniform, “the group” is a menace. After spending just a minute with this diptych, I feel quite on edge. The two quintets both wield the tools of their activity and confront the camera. Aggressive.

Psychologically, it’s a dead heat. But culturally, for me at least, the cheerleaders are more sinister.