Photographer of the Week 7

Benjamin Lowy

Benjamin Lowy is an American Photojournalist who is known for photographing scenes of conflict such as war zones or areas stuck by natural disasters.  He flocks to where most people flee. This is why he sticks out to me. He photographs these people and events not in a condemning way, just in a way that tells their story. He even came to Missouri during the riots to photograph the unrest in Ferguson.  I spent a lot of time on his website looking at all this compelling images. This man has seen a lot. I wept at some of his images as I saw the intense pain and fear he captured on many peoples' faces. 

Sources: http://www.benjaminlowy.com

Photographer of the Week 6

Jimmy Nelson

Jimmy Nelson may be my new favorite photographer. In a TED talk I listed to by him, he explained he started his journey in search of beauty. Not conventional, traditional ideas of beauty, but for who he thought were the most beautiful people in the world. This is how he began his journey of photographing indigenous groups all across the globe. Each tribe he visits has their own story. He lives with and like these people when he visits, he becomes friends with them and begins to understand their ways. His stories are just as much a sort of the art as his photographs are. Every time I look at them I am in complete awe of the raw beauty displayed in each image. 

Sources: http://www.beforethey.com/artprints

Photographer of the Week 5

Hannah Wilke

Hannah Wilke is known for her S.O.S. Starification Object Series. According to tate.org.uk, " In her public performances of this work, documented indirectly by the photographs, Wilke would hand sticks of gum to visitors as they entered the gallery space, before removing her shirt. She would then request the chewed gum from her audience, twisting each piece into a vagina form and sticking it to her bare skin, thus marking herself with a sign. She commented: ‘I chose gum because it’s the perfect metaphor for the American woman – chew her up, get what you want out of her, throw her out and pop in a new piece’" Wilke is often criticized for her narcissism, but she uses this as a way to reclaim the sexualized and objectified female body from the exclusive domain of male sexual desire. 
Sources: https://jenniferlinton.com/2010/12/31/the-art-of-hannah-wilke-feminist-narcissism-and-the-reclamation-of-the-erotic-body/ 
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/wilke-marxism-and-art-beware-of-fascist-feminism-p79357/text-summary
http://www.hannahwilke.com/id5.html

Photographer of the Week 4

Carolee Schneemann

Although Carolee never thought she was shocking, this is something she is now known for. Her work is incredibly intriguing and mostly revolves around nudity, sexuality, and female empowerment. In doing this she is unapologetically blunt, far from passive and completely shameless- as she should be. In an interview with "The Guardian" Carolee shares, "I never thought I was shocking," she says. "I say this all the time and it sounds disingenuous, but I always thought, 'This is something they need. My culture is going to recognize it's missing something.'"She was right. Although her work was not well received at first she has become an icon among feminist artists in the realm of painting, photography, and performance art. 
Sources:http://www.caroleeschneemann.com/index.html
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/mar/10/carole-schneemann-naked-art-performance

Photographer of the Week 3

Catherine Opie

I have been learning about more feminist photographers this semester as research for my book. One of the first people I was told to look at was Cathy Opie. I was taken back by her work, particularly the portraits. Especially in this work she studies the relationship between the mainstream mundane and the irregular, sometimes shocking aspects of the marginalized portion of society.  She places a large emphasis on sexual identity and empowerment. In much of her work she creates a sense of community, especially among LGBTQ people.
Sources: http://www.regenprojects.com/artists/catherine-opie/selected-works?view=multiple-sliders
https://ksquared67fap.wordpress.com/feminist-artist/