I recently had the pleasure of attending the exhibit ‘101 Vagina’, brain child of photographer Philip Werner. The exhibit (as pictured below) is a series of individual photographs all starring the vagina or yoni or whatever word you'd like to use. Each photograph is set next to a personal statement from the woman staring in it. Werner, heavily involved in gender activism and sexual equality created waves with his work, chipping away or rather powering a freight train through the stigma surrounding the vagina.
I arrived at the exhibit alittle
excited to see what I was in for. I left feeling as though I could shout to the
world ‘check out how unique and rich and gorgeous all the woman walking this earth
are’. Each photograph was complemented with an insert written from the anonymous
participant - the words were captivating in their vulnerability and honesty. I
couldn’t preach more about how important such work is to shifting the taboo
around the vagina and everything it embodies.
Naturally Raconteurs Inc. jumped at the chance to ask Werner about the success of ‘101 Vagina’ and the personal nature of his work.
Naturally Raconteurs Inc. jumped at the chance to ask Werner about the success of ‘101 Vagina’ and the personal nature of his work.
How had you hoped your recent exhibit with the Tap Gallery, Sydney '101
Vagina' would be received?
By this time I already had experience from putting the exhibition on a
couple of times previously, so I felt I had some idea of what to expect. What
you can never know, however, is how many people are going show up.
My hope is always that 101 Vagina will open people's hearts and minds,
and for the most part that is exactly what happens. Yes, many people also
report feeling confronted, but in a way that opens them up, rather than closing
them down. It's fascinating and satisfying to see this happening to people, a
lot of people express real gratitude for the project.
Does the anonymous nature of the pictures affect the message of your
work?
I don't see why that should be the case. When we vote anonymously does
that detract from the results? The anonymity simply meant that many women
participated who otherwise would not have and felt free to express themselves
without fear of judgement.
As a man photographing women in such a
personal way - how did this affect both your experience and the subject?
Well, I don't know what it would have been like had I been a woman, so
this is difficult to answer. As a photographer I often find myself needing to
reassure my subjects and handling their vulnerability with care. So, for the
subject, my ability to do this might have been a bigger factor than my gender.
If a viewer could take away one message from '101 Vagina' what would
you want it to be?
That they themselves, and everyone else, are fine just the way they
are.
Your exciting upcoming work '101 Penis' follows the same style as '101
Vagina' - what is it about this genre that inspires you?
I tend to tackle issues head on and I am not afraid of confrontation or
controversy. I also think that our sexual repression and body issues have an
enormously negative impact on our culture, far more that we realize. This is
one of the biggest taboos in our cultures, and my natural inclination is to go
at it head on. That's all I'm doing. I don't think I have a particular
inspiration about this genre besides that. If there was no taboo around
genitalia I don't think I would have bothered. It's about the social and
cultural issues for me, not about genitalia themselves.
Photos courtesy of Philip Werner
