Hello, Everybody!
Today, we will continue our celebration of Women's History Month by exploring a selection of contemporary female photographers. I have only written a few sentences and displayed a tiny sampling of these artists' amazing bodies of work in order to include more women on the list.
Please explore the links provided to find out more about these inspiring women and view other examples of their work. Also, don't forget to subscribe to this blog at the bottom of the page so you can be sure not to miss Contemporary Women Photographers Part 2.
Cindy Sherman's (American) work directs the camera back at herself as the subject, however the results aren't quite self-portraits. Her photographs address the various roles of the modern woman today and objectification in society and media.
Graciela Iturbide (Mexican) has focused her work on Mexico's indigenous people since the 1970s, often focusing on the strengths of the women in these societies.
Nan Goldin (American) creates images reminiscent of snapshots. They are personal and often sexual in nature. Her subjects have been her friends, lovers and regulars of the NYC club scene.
Sally Mann (American) is a renowned photographer who shoots intimate images of the American South and her family.
Carrie Mae Weems (American) uses storytelling in her work to address the topics of racism, sexism and class. She keeps activism as a main focus in her approach to making art.
Shirin Neshat (Iranian) explores gender, identity and politics in Muslim countries through her work.
Lorna Simpson (African-American) is a conceptual photography pioneer. Her spare imagery and frequent usage of text create works that are open-ended stories about gender and culture.
Rosalind Fox Solomon (American) is a celebrated photographer known for her portraits addressing struggle, human suffering and gender pitfalls.
Rineke Dijkstra (Dutch) has a very distinctive style of portraiture that recalls Dutch paintings of the 17th century. Her subjects are mostly adolescents and the interaction between them and the photographer.
Linda Connor (American) uses her work to explore the sacred and spiritual of this world. Her images have a luminous and meditative quality to them.
Maggie Steber (American) is a photojournalist whose work has taken her to over 60 countries. Her images depict humanitarian, social and cultural stories.
Stephanie Sinclair (American) is a photojournalist who focuses on gender and human-rights issues such as child marriage and self-immolation.
I'd like to dedicate this post to Arlene T Bakel, a woman who will be sorely missed. She was such a kind and accepting figure during the formative years of my life. She made me feel like family. Her enormous heart meant more to me than she could ever know. I would guess that the same could be said by anyone else who knew her.
