Finding Commonality in the Female Experience
May 15, 2017
The book, Girl on Girl: Art and Photography in the Age of the Female Gaze, reflects on how a new generation of women are taking the art world by storm. From Izumi Miyazaki’s cute and cruel femininity to Maisie Cousin’s juicy erotica, the 40 women featured are redefining the female gaze.
As part of a series, TIME speaks to five pioneering photographers who are bending the rules of self image, sexuality and exploitation. This week, Rania Matar explores the formation of female identity and how moments of transition – be it the cusp of adolescence, becoming a mother or facing death – are universal, regardless of culture or race.
TIME: What interests you about periods of transition?
Rania Matar: I think I didn’t go looking for transitions, I realized that I paused and observed them as they were happening around me, with my girls and myself. And now I’m more aware of them.
It was interesting to me to see these were the moments in time when they were quite chaste. There were like major transformations; their whole behavior, outlook, attitudes – everything. That period is fleeting and it’s so interesting to catch when it is there, when you have that duality.
Then the other transition is women pre-menopause. It’s when my daughters went to college and I realized that I feel like I’m 25, right? But then I have a girl who’s going to college. I feel like that that’s another major transition in a woman’s life.
How does your work explore how young people emulate older “role models” in their life – be that people they see on TV or their parents?
If you look at “L’Enfant Femme” you see that even more than “A Girl and Her Room.” You look at those girls and they’re trying hard to pose like they’re women but there’s also such a beautiful awkwardness, that kind of brings them back to the age they’re at. You have that duality.
But then when you are older… well, you want look like a teenager again, it’s kind of interesting.
