header image: Bernice Abbot, Behaviour Of Waves 1962
A good day to revisit a post from a couple of years ago, but before we do…a woman whose work is new to me. I can’t stop thinking about it. Argentinian artist Ingrid Weyland’s Topologies of Fragility series working with crumpled prints is beautiful and angry. See more of her work here
Woman and a camera
First published 08 March 2020
Today is International Women’s Day – a celebration of women’s cultural achievements and a call for the acceleration of equality for women. Here are some of the photographers I most admire (every day of the year), and they are women.
Anna Atkins (1799-1871) has been a huge influence in my seaweed photogram work. Producing the first ever photographically (photogram) illustrated publication ‘British Algae’, Anna Atkins is a seaweed sister.
Anna Atkins Alaria Esculenta 1849
Anna Atkins, Sargassum Plumosum c.1850
Madame Yevonde (1893-1975) was another pioneer, an early experimenter with colour photography. Everytime I look at this work I am astonished by the dates.
Madame Yevonde, Mrs Edward Mayer as Medusa c.1935
Below some of Madame Yevonde’s advertising work 1937-1938
Hannah Hoch (1889-1976) was a Dada artist and an innovator in photomontage.
Hannah Hoch, The Beautiful Girl 1920
Hannah Hoch, Bouquet Of Eyes 1930
Bauhaus photographer Grete Stern (1904-1999) created a wonderful suite of dream photomontages following a commission for an Argentinian magazine’s weekly psychoanalysis feature.
Grete Stern, Eternal Eye 1950
Grete Stern, Dream No.1 Electrical Appliances For The Home 1949
Bernice Abbot (1898-1991) started as Man Ray’s darkroom assistant. She photographed the changing architecture of 1930s New York and used photography to document science concepts.
Bernice Abbot, Behaviour Of Waves 1962
Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) was Life Magazine’s first woman photographer.
Margaret Bourke-White, Log Rafts, Canadian International Paper Company 1937
Margaret Bourke-White, Wind Tunnel Construction, Fort Peck Dam, Montana 1936
Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) generated a wealth of beautiful images across architecture and portraiture. It is her still life and plant works that I enjoy the most.
Imogen Cunningham, Five Eggs 1951
Imogen Cunningham, Hand and leaves of Voodoo Lily 1972
Diane Arbus (1923-1971) ‘“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”
Diane Arbus, Lady Bartender at Home with a Souvenir Dog, New Orleans L.A. 1964
Cindy Sherman (b.1954) was a favourite of mine at photography college, in particular her Untitled Film Stills.
Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #58, 1980
Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #5, 1977
My Fay Godwin (1931-2005) books of landscapes are usually nearby, but it is her series Glassworks that haunt me.
Fay Godwin, Meall Mor, Glencoe 1989
Fay Godwin, Untitled from NZ Glassworks series, 1990
Gunnie Moberg (1941-2007) the Swedish Orcadian, was a friend of Fay Godwin. I was fortunate to work with the Gunnie Moberg Archive for two years, a very stimulating time.
Gunnie Moberg, Honesty c.1995
Gunnie Moberg, North Ronaldsay Sheep Dyke c.1979
images from
Gunnie Moberg: Gunnie Moberg Archive, Orkney Library & Archive
British Library website
Imogen Cunningham Trust website
MoMA website
ArtBlat blogsite
chewonstyrofoam blogsite
brainpickings website
Rebecca Marr 