A woman is infinite and undefinable. If this is false –which I doubt it–, at least it serves as the opening statement to Annie Leibovitz’s most interesting projects of her career to date. The Women project was born from a collaboration with author Susan Sontag, which was at first presented as a book and exhibition in 1999. She has garnered worldwide recognition for her work in the glitzy showbiz world. Annie returns once more to a visual production that is more political but no less intimate and personal.
Leibovitz captures the feminine sex and how it perceives itself. Her subjects clamor for admiration and have an unshakeable sense of confidence. Leibovitz is capable of capturing women, according to Gloria Steinem, in all their complexity that makes them human. Each photograph is a complicated world that tells an individual human story. Steinem adds, “where women are not ornaments but instruments of change.” Her project titled Women: New Portraits has taken over fifteen years to complete, and she has painstakingly gathered the faces and bodies of women that revel in the fact that they have two X chromosomes and have broken every barrier placed on their way. This project is a strong visual statement against all the obstacles society continues to place in the twenty first century.
Leibovitz relished the mercurial nature of humanity, “women are always evolving, and so are the photos.” Through black and white, and color photographs, she plays with enigmatic silhouettes that evoke fear, intrigue, pain, and all the feelings and experiences mankind is capable of possessing. Leibovitz has constantly emphasized that we don’t make a sufficient effort to understand the human body and its emotional and physical evolutions. To give an added dimension to the feminine sex, she makes use of the strong figures of Patti Smith, Michelle Obama, Katy Perry, Louis Bourgeois, Rihanna, among others.
Obviously not everything is sweet, calm, and poised in the world Leibovitz creates. Instead, she stretches the horizons and gives us an unparalleled insight into women that have been thrust into the spotlight and where the public has turned them into cartoon versions of themselves. Annie removes all these layers imposed by the media, thus showing she is one of the best photographers of this generation.
The most effective photographs are those that go beyond the face and gestures of the model and look right through soul, into the experiences and feelings that make up a person. In the same way, Leibovitz uses strong and visual feminine objects that are charged with meaning, such as Louisa May Alcott’s dolls, Vanessa Bell’s bedroom, and the dresses of Elvis Presley’s mother, among other belongings.
Annie is recognized by many for her work in fashion, but this production is a testament to her versatility. The artist refers to this work time and time again as a project that saves her and reminds her of who she really is.
Women is not a fashion statement; it is a photographic journey that goes from the political to the ritual. The encounter between the nature of man and the viewer is almost religious. This project takes advantage of society’s need to admire the celebrities and their way of life, but in turn she gives her subjects the capacity to communicate to the audience and fight back.
On the surface, it would appear as if Annie Leibovitz is flirting with the mainstream and pop, but she is the only one capable of going deeper and saying much more.
When Anne began this project, she was hesitant, for her capturing the feminine would be like trying to capture the sea or the ocean; it wouldn’t be possible to get a hook into it because of its nature. She overcame her fear and plunged deep into the feminine identity, unafraid to portray its vastness. This exhibition has been showcased across 10 cities thanks to a partnership with UBS.
