Picture imperfect (SLIDE SHOWS)

A pair of photography shows challenge gallerygoers to rethink what they know about the constructs of sexuality, gender and race.

From left: Shen Wei, Self-portrait (Syracuse), 2010; Del LaGrace Volcano, Jax Revealed, Jackie McConochie, London, 1992

In “I Miss You Already” at Daniel Cooney Fine Art, Chinese-born, New York–based artist Shen Wei chronicles his self-discovery through a series of haunting self-portraits, while “Del LaGrace Volcano: A Mid-Career Retrospective” at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art vividly portrays people living at various points on and outside of the gender spectrum. Both sets of large-scale images can be erotic or unsettling—often both at once; they’ll stick with you for a long time after you look away. Preview works by both artists by clicking the images below.