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| Image of www.wipnyc.org. |
AP: I assume you already have the first few photographers lined up. Give me some of the logistics you've had to work through. And what have photographers' responses been to the project?
AE: It's been an interesting process. I would say that a good deal of the work being emailed to us is by emerging photographers who show a great level of excitement for the project and have strong bodies of work but perhaps haven't had a chance to show their work yet. We have had a strong reaction across the board from those who have submitted their works and from the established photographers we have contacted. We have had to do quite a bit of research to get into contact with some very esteemed photographers and virtually have had to do a good amount of "cold-calling" through email to explain our project and why they would be such a great addition to it. Sometimes we get no reply, but more often we get an enthusiastic response along with an emailed edit of their works and a statement. It's been fantastic to suddenly be in contact with photographers whose work I've always admired and to have them personally sending work in for the site.
CP: The site looks great and we have solo shows lined up for quite a while. For us, looking at the entries and contacting established photographers has definitely been a lot of work. As a result I have learned a ton about editing and submitting my own work. The response to the site has been pretty incredible. We have received so many entries that include notes from women saying, "Thank you for doing this," or "Even if you don't show my work, I think you are doing something great." In addition, the generosity of the established artists, who certainly don't need the exposure and who responded to our call to participate. Their willingness to trust us with their work has really impressed me. And the photo blog community has been really supportive.
AP: You talk about "creating a visual dialog" and it seems that you want to make WIPNYC kind of a forum. Do you have plans for other facets of the project besides the online showcase? Will there be online discussions, events, etc.?
AE: It's our hopes that Women In Photography will branch out in the future to include guest interviews and curators from top gallery directors, owners, and editors. At this point we are not planning on having online discussions and are leaning away from the traditional blog format.
CP: For now we are concentrating on showing the best work and getting a good readership. I think Amy and I are open to other possible projects, but we would like to wait till we get going. We would love to have some guest curators down the road or group shows. This all came together so fast we are sort of making it up as we go along.
AP: I appreciate that your introduction is about celebrating talented women not lamenting that there is not always a place for them. Still, do you think it is sometimes hard for women in photography, which has long been a male-dominated industry (in some ways at least)?
AE: I think it can definitely be hard to find your place in an industry as competitive, cut throat, and fast paced as it is with both the fine art world and the commercial world of photography. I'm not sure every female photographer faces or feels the same challenges, but they do exist on a larger scale, whether it's felt personally or not. The statistics are there, despite the abundance of talented female photographers out there -- the scale tips heavily in favor of male photographers both in regards to fine art and commercial fields. Women In Photography is a venue created to help draw attention towards talented photographers with unique vision and impressive work.
CP: I think that women face certain challenges when they are trying to break into any field. The thing I found most upsetting about the New York Times 'Gallerina' article was its emphasis on looks. The message was clear: If you are attractive you can get ahead. And the photo industry has its own challenges. Most women going into photography are going to study with male teachers, which can be problematic. Or if you work for a male photographer sometimes you get hit on or have to deal with inappropriate behavior. The first time I assisted, the photographer and his first assistant did nothing but tell very raunchy sex stories. I felt like they were doing it to rattle me. Then of course, they did not want me to lift anything too heavy. Beyond the challenges of the industry, women also have to contend with how they are going to manage children, family and a photo career. Editorial shooters sometimes travel weeks at a time with only a day or two off. I think these are issues in our society, they do not only occur in the photo world. One solution is for women to network and support each other more. I think by taking action, we become stronger. Of course not all women in photography have to contend with these things, and there are many artists for whom gender is a non-issue.
AP: Please tell me a bit about yourselves, your work, etc.
AE: I was born in Venice Beach, CA in 1979. After spending some wonderful years in New Orleans I now reside and work in New York. I received a BFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in May of 2007. My work has been published in PDN, American Photo, EyeMazing, Dear Dave, NY Arts, Corduroy, Out, The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek Japan, and Newsweek US. My work has been in various group exhibitions, including the PIP International Photo Festival in Pingyao, China, Gallery Gagopa in Masan, South Korea, Gallery Elsa in Busan, South Korea, Jen Bekman Gallery, PEER Gallery, Visual Arts Gallery and Affordable Arts Fair in NYC, Fette's Gallery in Los Angeles and Aqua Art Fair in Miami, FL. I am currently represented by Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York City.
My work explores notions of vulnerability, identity and transitory states. My main body of work, "Wallflower," investigates and confronts some of the cultural grounds underlying gender. I have a personal photo blog that hosts various ideas and projects including the self-portrait project "Beyond This Place: 269 Intervals." In addition, I curate and maintain Wanderlustagraphy.
CP: I studied with Joel Sternfeld and Penelope Umbrico at Sarah Lawrence College. I went back to get my B.A. in my mid-twenties so I came to photography after spending years in the beauty business both as a child model and as a make-up artist. I grew up in the Midwest in suburban Detroit and I think that gender stereotypes are a bit more entrenched there. I was raised to think girls should always be sweet, accommodating and nice. When I was in high school my math teacher made a crack about how girls should learn to cook rather than geometry. Not too long ago, I tried to buy 220 film while visiting my parents and the guy at the store spent ten minutes trying to talk me out of it, explaining to me what a medium format camera was. I guess my upbringing and selling lipstick made me more aware of the struggles women can face. So when I began my second real body of work, I returned to something I knew: the world of beauty.
In the beginning I was interested in showing the places women go to seek beauty, as an investigation into what these places represent and why we return to them over and over to get fixed. Eventually I started to focus on the interiors of cosmetic surgeons offices after hours. They are the epicenter of our society's current expectations for the female body. But they also have certain psychological implications. In these chairs you confront what you dislike or find repulsive about yourself, and with machines, scalpels, or syringes you are made better. There is something very powerful about the promise of being instantly fixed. I have had my own personal struggles with body and eating issues, so in a way my work is about me confronting my own desires and self-judgments. Also, selling make-up showed me how people give power to things and places to make themselves feel better. So I guess that is partly why I am interested in images that are both seductive and a little scary. Currently, I am looking for a publisher for a book of the project, which includes text of the voices of women who have had surgery.
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