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Culture June 26, 2018
Putting a different spin on the beauty of images.
People have the power to make a statement without saying a word. That’s the beauty of photography. What makes modern photography so powerful though are all the women who use that power to challenge societal expectations. They’re not only challenging gender norms but they’re redefining feminism in the process. By exposing the female body through this lens, you get a unique perspective.
So it’s time to get up close and personal. Here are five feminist photographers that are breaking the mold.
Maple learned to embrace her cultural background through images. Her father is white and British and her mother is an Iranian Muslim. She’s also learned to analyze it and throw censorship out the window, like in this self-portrait of her smoking a cigarette in a hijab.
Her works are incredibly vulnerable. Feminism is a huge subject presented in her work and women are the central subjects. That, plus her work concerning culture, has caused some controversy.
Yet, she’s still honored on this list of powerful feminist photographers for her effort to use art as a form of aggressive self-expression. She stays true to herself and is never silenced. Feminist photographers can be at risk in the public eye and Maple’s been on the receiving end of many threats. However, that honesty pays off.
Maisie Cousins goes against the grain thanks to her nudes. The first nude photo she ever took was of her friend, Lucy, who stood naked under a street light embraced by the moon. Since then, she’s been inspired by an obsession with female bodies. The moon also often appears in her works, as it’s linked through menstrual cycles. Cousins respects the vulnerability as well as empowerment that comes with nakedness.
However, she is not afraid to voice her thoughts. Especially when it comes to the lack of originality in the commercial world of feminism. According to her candid interview with Vice, “Palatable or fashionable feminism isn’t really empowering anyone; it’s just profitable. However, it’s a form of communication and bonding between girls and that ultimately is most important.”
Feminism is not all frills and “fuck yous” to the patriarchy. These themes can become cliché. Luckily, her vision of feminist photography is anything but cliché.
This Los Angeles local also follows nude inspirations. Her work heavily features nude women, which isn’t a unique concept, but her originality remains intact.
Her work was featured in an exhibit called “Pheromone Hotbox” in 2015. In her own words, it’s “the specific idea of what happens when a woman photographs another woman intimately, and the biologically confounded process our pheromones go through during that time.”
Her images create a sensual portrait of individuality and intrigue. Some of her black and white images even include splashes of colorful lines to add more contrast, which makes her work pop.
Japanese artist Tomoko Sawada explores identity through images. She’s honed in on the face as being at the forefront of our identity, so she often works with portraits.
However, she specifically uses the face to help others see culture from a personal perspective as well as the tensions that arise from society’s views. Sawada’s eye for feminist art is complex, bringing a different light to social issues revolving around individuality, sexuality, stereotypes and other issues.
For example, the photo above, titled “School Days,” screams sameness, but it’s a piece all about individuality. This photo of a group of schoolgirls was digitally manipulated so that Sawada is each girl. Sawada physically placed herself into different identities.
The Brooklyn Museum said that the piece shows off a “wall of conformity” that “shows the effects of institutionalization on personality and raises the question: what is the meaning of an individual when all individuals are identical?”
Viewers can appreciate her work on many levels. She adds both cultural and personal elements, thus, making her an inspiration for many.
Her name probably popped up on your feed at some point. It’s also likely you’ve seen her photos without even knowing she’s the feminist mastermind behind them. After all, her pubic hair pics got her banned from Instagram in the early 2000s.
She spoke out on the subject, stating that the removal made her feel “how strong of a distrust and hate we have towards female bodies.”
“The deletion of my account felt like a physical act, like the public coming at me with a razor, sticking their finger down my throat, forcing me to cover up, forcing me to succumb to society’s image of beauty,” she wrote.
Despite this setback, she continues to confront women’s sexuality on Instagram. Her artist collective, the Ardorous, works to empower other female artists through uncensored, raw art and through collaboration. Her images include women in natural states and often manage to capture a woman’s ethereal glow. She’s headstrong, creative and doesn’t care what you think.
She’s basically feminism in a nutshell, along with the rest of these women, who will continue to take the photography world by storm.
