LIVE DANGEROUSLY

BY: PROVOKR Editors

The National Museum of Women in the Arts presents Live Dangerously, which is a crazy, daring, provocative and beautiful exhibit by 12 women photographers who use the the female body sculpturally, positioning women in very natural environments to suggest provocative stories. The curation includes work by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Anna Gaskell, Dana Hoey, Mwangi Hutter, Graciela Iturbide, Kirsten Justesen, Rania Matar, Justine Kurland, Ana Mendieta, Laurie Simmons, Xaviera Simmons and Janaina Tschäpe.

The images collectively are fierce, dreamy, dark and imaginative photographs of women captured by women. These are not Edward Weston’s nudes. “100 Little Deaths” is a real show stopper by Janaina Tschäpe, who inserted her own body to picture her own demise. Not for a second questioning the artist’s intent I was immediately reminded of that incredible feeling when you are prone on the earth or with your back stretched out along her surface. The photographer’s images looked foreboding, but it is a cosmic force of stability and safeness I have when Mother Nature supports us fully. Or I feel I am somehow returning. I alway feel like I am powering up and these women photographers obviously feel very empowered.

Laurie Simmons, “Water Ballet” (1981) is part of a series shot in swimming pools and the waters of the Caribbean Sea with a strong reference to the water ballet films and novelty acts of the 1950s. We loved the image.

Louise Dahl-Wolfe should have her own story in PROVOKR. She was an amazing groundbreaking fashion photographer who rejected the mannequin like sittings for the great outdoors and photographed in exotic locations. She shot “California Desert” (1948) in the Mojave Desert positioning her model so her curves echoed the changing white sands. It is a stunning photograph.

The show is up through January, so do yourself a favor support women photographers and the National Museum of Women in the Arts by seeing this very entertaining and creative curation.