The Female Gaze
I created these woman scenes to exhibit woman, in supposedly sexual positions that juxtapose with the awkward facial expressions that the girls display. I tried to capture a unique gaze in these girls eyes, an awkwardness that they display to the viewers, the mysterious side of the girls.
This subject matter made me realize that through the years society has broken down walls and conventions, less imagination is needed to observe a photograph, every wrinkle and spot is blown out in front of our eyes, no hints are there for us to explore and find out what is hiding underneath the surface. With a push of a button one could find a pornographic image to look at, a sex worker to sleep with, an apartment to rent and a job to work at, we are shown photographs that are provocative, digrading and humiliating to woman.
I want to reverse the brutality in imaging woman and go back in time by combining playfulness and sexuality, and especially the gaze of the woman in the photographs - that are usually in control and in a powerful position.
I am trying to create a certain atmosphere in my work, a nostalgic feeling, with soft and intriguing scenes. Trying to achieve the old postcard sensibility with the help of the models I am photographing and our communication about the subject of the photographs. By using new digital technology and classic format film cameras I am trying to recreate "past" art works. Without sexualizing woman yet using the accessories that could make a woman seem sexual I tried achieving an "older" sesibility to new technology.
From back of Robert Lebeck's, "Bibliphilie pour tous Playgirls D'antan" (collection of playgirls for all): "What used to make grandfather joyful and grandmother redish..."
