‘Revising History’ is a body of work made by replacing the entire central figure in found-vernacular photographs, with an image of myself. I do this to call attention to the power photography has in creating cultural mythologies and in contributing to historical revisionism. A photograph allows us to remember selectively because it liberates a moment from context, erases vantage, and is inevitably susceptible to a co-opted or underwritten fantasy.
Using an elaborate, multi-disciplinary, and performative process, I transform into the subject of the photograph. I replace the original woman in the image with an image of my entire body. The work relies on stagecraft, costuming, and physical improvisation, rather than on digital manipulation. I select period-correct vintage attire from my fashion archive for each image, and I transmogrify my visual appearance using hair and makeup techniques that I learned from vintage beauty manuals. I become a characterisation of the person who was present the moment the image was captured. My end result appears as a record of time and place yet crafts its own reality, myth, and falsehood, not unlike a traditionally made photograph. I look for underlining narratives, that quietly hide behind outward glamour. Images that depict anachronistic views of gender allow me to draw an analogy with contemporary problems still faced by women.
The captivating aesthetic present in post-war American photography encourages us to believe that it was a time of civility when it was actually a time of discrimination and gender inequality. A woman’s future, both personally and professionally, was usually determined by her beauty and her presentation, rather than her skills or qualifications. Yet, the visuals of the post-war era act as a mask–covering up and glossing over a past that is more convenient to forget using aesthetic appeal. I utilise those visuals to draw my audience into a conversation about the narrative we have scripted regarding the American past.
By presenting portraits that are transmuted from their original intention, I foster a conversation about how historical depictions of women are used to help us idealise our past. I intend the series to engage the audience in a discussion about the way we interpret the media, record personal memories, and establish a collective history. “Revising History” is a body of work made by replacing the entire central figure in found-vernacular photographs, with an image of myself. I do this to call attention to the power photography has in creating cultural mythologies and in contributing to historical revisionism. A photograph allows us to remember selectively because it liberates a moment from context, erases vantage, and is inevitably susceptible to a co-opted or underwritten fantasy.
Free artist talk:
When: 12:30pm Monday 6 May Where: Festival Hub, Paddington Town Hall
Jennifer Greenburg
Jennifer Greenburg is an Associate Professor of Photography at Indiana University Northwest and lives in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from The University of Chicago. She was an artist in residence at Light Work, Syracuse, in 2005 and is a recipient of two Illinois Arts Council Grants and two Community Arts Assistance Programs. Her work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tuscon, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Light Work, the Museum of Photographic Arts, and the National Gallery of Ontario. Solo and group shows of Greenburg’s work have been held worldwide.
This event has concluded
Dates:
Entry Fee:
Free
Exhibition Event:
Artist Talk06/05/2019 2:30 am
Max Mason-Hubers
Festival submissions open early 2025
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