More Ghost Women…

Ghost Women, #151 (Nazis, Madonna, and a Painted Chicken). Mendoza, Argentina, 2018

Ghost Women, #151 (The Madonna, stuck between Nazis and a Painted Chicken). Mendoza, Argentina, 2018

These are all “found” images among the tattered posters and graffiti I find on out-of-the-way urban walls. I originally thought I would call this collection Ghost Women.

But…

I still have not yet figured out exactly what I am trying to say with these pictures, so what do I call the portfolio?

My message, though, would include some sort of mixture of the following themes…

–women’s roles and experiences in a largely patriarchal world

–elements of #MeToo experiences and their voices

–the sometimes troubled/dysfunctional nature of male-female relationships, marriage, etc.

–gender roles, gender stereotypes, society’s expectations based on gender

–dysfunction, alienation, trauma

–beauty and physical appearances in our modern society, youth and aging

Yep, it is a pretty pessimistic perspective, but based on the very real experiences of several women to whom I am very close (as well as some personal experience and knowledge).

So, what should this portfolio be called? In the image titles, should I give names to the women in each of the photographs to bring them to life as real individuals? What else in the image title (if anything) should be stated to help out the viewer? Is this portfolio simply too pessimistic and depressive, too politically, emotionally, and psychologically one-sided? Is this body of work even worth pursuing?

These and more questions are on my mind as I look through the viewfinder.

A few of the latest…