The Female Gaze and What Could Have Been of Photo London 2017

Ellen von Unwerth, From Original Sin, 1998-9

Last week’s Photo London left a slight bittersweet taste for me. The fair brings together a great selection of galleries and it is a must-see for anyone interested in photography. However, there was an overwhelming presence of fashion photography and female portraiture. At worse banal and celebrity-driven, at best a lush sensuous rich experience.

After the Kate Moss overdose, Helmut Newton’s ubiquitous iconic images of determined women, Horst P. Horst’s timeless classics, Irving Penn’s soft touch, Norman Parkinson’s old-world glamour, Miles Aldridge’s dolls… the penny dropped heavy. With the exception of very few works dotted around by Lillian Bassman, Sarah Moon and Ellen von Unwerth, a wander around the fair felt like I had been transported to another time, ignoring the contemporary appetite for female voices. The male gaze was starting to give away a rancid whiff.

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May Art Gallery Highlights: Photography

Massie Cousins, grass, peoni, bum

Photo London opens next week on Thursday 18th until Sunday 21st at Somerset House in central London. In its third edition, the fair has gained momentum and photography is settling into London’s annual art calendar. To accompany the fair, three exhibitions by Mat Collishaw, Isaac Julien and Taryn Simon will also open at Somerset House. Since the coming week will all be about photography, May’s gallery highlights are commercial exhibitions on the medium. Expect pleasure-seeking from a young Maisie Cousins, a look back at Renate Bertlmann’s feminist wit and timeless elegance on the nature of desire and the gaze by Isaac Julien.

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Four Rugs and a Big Dilemma

Ophelia Finke, Dakar, 2015 Rug detail

This week I am sharing a real dilemma. As a matter of fact, my dilemma. I am freshening up the living room at home and I have been looking up for a rug. I love textiles for the texture and character they add to a home. I don’t mind in what form they come: tapestries, upholstery, rugs or an interesting fabric scrap that has been framed to admire. I walk barefoot and the floor is dark wood so my starting point was simply a soft rug with a light background. Below are my options… Suggestions on how to untangle this one are welcome!

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