
Elkins, Frank /
In Position
JANUARY 24 - FEBRUARY 28, 2015
De Soto Gallery presented In Position, an exhibition of photographs by Amy Elkins and Jona Frank. Both artists were in attendance for the opening reception.
Amy Elkins’ Danseur series depicts dancers from the Royal Danish Ballet and Dansehallerne, while Jona Frank’s The Modern Kids features portraits of young boxers in gyms across Northern England. Together, their work examines contrasting models of masculinity and the cultural scripts that shape them. Elkins and Frank highlight the complexity of gendered expectations, revealing nuanced portrayals that are both tender and tough, disciplined and expressive.
Boxing and ballet—classical pursuits with deep-rooted traditions—demand vulnerability, control, and physical rigor. Elkins’ dancers often pose in “bras bas” or first position, while Frank’s boxers take up a typical defensive stance, gloves raised. Each athlete trains within a codified structure, performing for an audience while navigating internal pressures of identity and belonging.
Their photographs also reflect shifting perceptions around gender and expression. Ballet, once reserved for aristocracy, remains aligned with refinement and sophistication; boxing, historically marginalized, is still linked to working-class grit. As portrayals of masculinity evolve in contemporary media, Elkins and Frank explore what it means to be a young man today—and how those stories take shape on the body.
Both artists investigate how cultural rituals, visual language, and self-presentation construct identity. Their work frames sport as a form of performance and metaphor, where discipline and storytelling converge in the expressive potential of the human figure.
Amy Elkins (b. 1979, Venice, CA) received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2007. Her work has been exhibited in the U.S. and internationally, including at Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and Kunsthalle Wien.
Jona Frank (b. 1966, Camden, NJ) has exhibited her photography and film internationally, with works held in the collections of the Getty Museum, SFMOMA, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She has published several monographs including High School, Right: Portraits from the Evangelical Ivy League, and The Modern Kids.