Women’s Work: Celebrating the work of photographers who are helping us see the world through a different lens – exhibition starts on Mar 6
Women’s Work is a unique exhibition celebrating the work of 21 women photographers from the Advertising and Illustrative Photographers’ Association (AIPA) running over four days from 6 March at the Ellen Melville Centre. Coinciding with International Women’s Day, Women’s Work is an opportunity to explore the female gaze as an alternative to the ubiquitous male perspectives that tend to dominate commercial and advertising photography.
Says AIPA vice president Victoria Baldwin, who gathered together the group of women who produced the Women’s Work exhibition and associated events: “With this exhibition we really want to give people a nudge and make them question their assumptions.”
The 41 images from photographers including Mara Sommer, Sara Orme, Victoria Baldwin and others embody a wide range of themes and styles. Each photographer has her own unique approach to her work, yet together these images represent a distinctly female viewpoint.
Women make up the majority of photography students in NZ universities, up to 70–80% in some courses, however the number of women commercial photographers represented by photo agents in NZ is much lower, closer to 20%.
Says Wellington photographer Amber-Jayne Bain: “It’s not just that women are not represented, it’s that women’s points of view aren’t represented. I feel like the exhibition is going to be a reminder that there is a different point of view.”
On International Women’s Day a panel discussion will bring together artists and industry professionals to discuss issues around the gender imbalance in the photographic industries. The conversation between photographer Sara Orme, Isobel Kerr-Newell of Saatchi & Saatchi, Geraldine Turney of Match Photographers, and Dr. Kaisa Wilson of Gender Tick promises to be lively and informative.
Says Sarah Orme: “I’ve been in this industry for over 25 years and I’m not gonna lie, it’s been really hard as a female. The female vision, up until recently, has been really ignored, and absolutely not understood or appreciated.”
Women’s Work is an opportunity to take a break from the male perspective and experience the world through a different lens: the female gaze.
Women’s Work acknowledges its supporters: Sony, Auckland Council, Ellen Melville Centre, Saatchi & Saatchi, Omni Graphics, Pacey Production Company, White Studios, Frank Advice, and Kingsize Studios.
Mâitre D’ from the series: A Woman’s Place by Victoria Baldwin
Ella’s Story from the series: Herstory by Sara Orme
Learn from the series: Displaced by Amber-Jayne Bain
1 Comment
I have been given it wouldn’t chance to write poetry along to work a photographer has given me in the hope that we can help each other out. I am an artist who wants to be able to explore responsible issues while at the same time offer work to women who may not have any way to make a living.
So I thought…. what if I could find responsible companies who needed advertising…. Then to find a way to help women who could either model or photograph art used to communicate something about these companies that have been responsible.