Women with Cameras gathers a popular and widely acclaimed series by the New York–based conceptual photographer Anne Collier that puts the camera in the hands of a female subject, subverting photographic conventions of the male gaze. The backdrops and occasions of these found pictures range from beaches, backyards and living rooms to New Year's Eve parties. Compiled here, they offer a defiant, optimistic rebuttal to the idea of women as passive observers in the worlds of art, advertising and family life. By redirecting the gaze back toward the viewer, Collier gives testimony to the power of photography to affect both self-image and, more importantly, self-agency. As MCA Chicago curatorMichael Darling noted of these works (on the occasion of Collier's exhibition there), "taking a retrospective look at these technologies and how women have been portrayed in them prepares you to think about how photos are used today. Her work can create visual literacy and inspire critical thinking." Thanks to KARMA (New York City).
168 pages, 25.4 x 25.4 cm, softcover, KARMA (New York City).