A Paris Photoone of the largest fairs in the world dedicated to photography as art, an innovative initiative entitled Elles x Paris Photo offers visitors a new way to visit this overwhelming labyrinth of evocative and provocative images. Beyond 40 images made by women were selected to create a circulation within the fair to celebrate it female photographic gaze. Of these, we wanted to select some, which look at the body and its representation, to delve deeper into the theme together with Raphaëlle Stopin – Curator of the Elles x Paris Photo exhibition 27th edition of Paris Photodirector of the Center Photographique Rouen Normandie and former artistic director of the Festival de Hyères. The exhibition will take place from 7 to 10 November at the exhibition pavilion Grand Palace.
Ngadi Smart
“My goal has always been to counter the usual tropes of ‘poverty porn’ with vibrant color and collage, as a response to the dehumanizing way in which developing African nations have historically been portrayed by Western media.” Ngadi Smart, Artist.
ZOFIA RYDET
“In Zofia Rydet’s work, the body is the representation of a human being who is part of modern civilization. The artist here provides the image of the global crisis as a form of memory of the past but also a warning of the future”. Łukasz Gorczyca, Gallery Owner.
What were your intentions when you curated this selection?
My goal was to free female artistic creation from stereotypes, to go beyond self-portraiture, militancy or commentary on the representation of women. In this selection there are of course many female artists under 40, about a third, but most of them are 20th century artists.
TEE A. CORINNE
“Corinne said, ‘The lack of a publicly accessible history is a devastating form of oppression. Lesbians face it constantly.” Imbuing flora and fauna with erotic energy, Corinne produced sexually evocative images that convey ‘spirituality of sexuality'”. Charlotte Flint, Gallery Owner.
For this portfolio we chose to focus on the body and its representation. What do you think of this very narrow topic?
I find it interesting that so many different codes and visual languages are exposed. So many, in fact, that it was clear to what extent the heart of the matter, for these artists, was that of truly creating a work of art. The aesthetic question is not a secondary concern, far from it. And female artistic production takes many and varied forms, just like male one.
“The caryatid study series is the simplest self-portrait I have made in my career. Holding a chair above your head is a declaration that the existence and life of human beings is not given by anyone and is not for anyone.” Mari Katayama, Artist.
Is there something inherently different about the female photographic gaze?
Women were undoubtedly more aware and sensitive to the fact that photography had been used, especially in the media, as a vehicle for extremely objectifying representations, which obviously affected them more than male artists. For example, I see that you have chosen Lois Conner and her work that questions the representation of motherhood, with these beautiful everyday Madonnas. Here is an artist who offers an alternative imagery, through that same medium. This is why historical perspective is so necessary. Today the question of the body is still explored, but not for the same reasons. We have overcome the great feminist struggle against the commercial image of the housewife or the commodification of women’s bodies. Yet current events seem to take us back. Many artists continue to discuss the body as a political space. For example, the representation of gender, of fluidity, which is extremely current, is something that had already been explored in the past, but in perhaps less explicit ways.
Sabiha Çimen
“Muslim women, like all women, have bodies. With this image, I open a dialogue on the complexities of being a Muslim woman beyond stereotypes. Being with her blue ice cream – I wanted to highlight her identity, society’s expectations and personal freedom, women’s struggles, their resilience.” Sabina Çimen, Artist.
LOIS CONNER
“I felt the urge to photograph them. Photographing a woman before she gives birth, a loved one before she dies, the sunlight before it fades and darkens. They are all motivations and expressions of the life force.” Lois Conner, Artist.
There is something almost aggressive, radical, in some of these images…
Certain! Look Alina Frieskewhich produces a fully manipulated photographic image, or Lucile Boironwhose work is purely photographic, completely uncontaminated. In both their works there is an auscultation of the flesh, even if their technical approaches are poles apart. For me, the images are not preconceived one way or the other. On the contrary, both have a certain rawness. Lucie Boiron, with this enormous child, created a photo that digs into the flesh. There is something extremely organic, almost essentialised. It’s an extreme close-up, an overly fragmented view that gives the impression that life is exploding out of the frame.
LUCILE BOIRON
“Close-ups, which are an integral part of my visual language, decontextualize. What interests me is not so much what is photographed, but rather the sensation that the images make us feel. This image could be interpreted as an expression of the state of confusion between the body of the mother and that of the child, not yet completely dissociated.” Lucile Boiron, Artist.
ALINA FRIESKE
“I was interested in our addiction to online content. While this image is quite aggressive, due to the compulsive overload of images, it is also thoughtful and tender – the attachment to the screens we hold so close to our bodies. I wanted to comment on both, consumer behavior and being consumed.” Alina Frieske, Artist.
Tell us about the fragmented body in photography. What does it mean?
The fragment can have many meanings. Alina Frieske cut up the bodies. Because he partly uses images found online, his work expresses the fragmentation of our identities in the digital world. These images of us circulate, we don’t know where they go or where they will end up; and so our bodies, through these images, themselves become fragmented, our identities compromised. For Lore Stessel the creative impulse is different. What interests her is that the fragment expresses the movement, the performance. Of course, cutting off body parts is a kind of image violence. But this frame shows a beautiful bunch of hands: it is easy to project onto it an image of sisterhood, of community.
LORE SESSEL
“In this image, hands come together in a moment of collective dance. Our faces and our hands are the two most intense centers of expression. I prefer to let my hands do the talking, because they combine the abstract and the concrete.” Lore Stessel, Artist.
Do you think things are improving when it comes to gender equality in the art world?
In this country, and many others, there are many more women than men studying art. But we cannot forget to look to the past. Is art history, as it is currently taught, an accurate representation of what actually happened historically? Of course, young artists must be encouraged and supported, but they must also be shown that art photography has a history and that it is not just the prerogative of men. But to give women the place they deserve in this space, reevaluating their role in this story should not happen on the basis of oversimplification. Research on women photographers is often limited to militant photographers or self-portraits, which is why I wanted to focus on research and visual experimentation. Look Imai Hisaehis work is truly remarkable. He made this image in the 1960s – it looks like the kind of work Smith was producing last year. By displaying this work, we place the creation in a broader visual historical context. Looking at the last century, wondering what we haven’t looked at and why… It complicates the landscape, multiplies the point of view. There’s so much to do it’s exhilarating.
IMAI HISAE
“In Imai’s tale, an old woman and Ophelia meet and switch places, and Ophelia, who should have drowned, is brought back to life. The living Ophelia is no longer a tragedy.” Aya Tomoka, Gallery Owner.
MARIA CHAMBEFORT
“Being interested in women not only as subjects, but as authors in their own right allows us to convey the diversity of the path that these photographers have undertaken”. Maria Chambefort, Artist.
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