The Lens

What, if anything, does it mean to be a woman photographer? Cincinnati will soon have a chance to explore the topic during the 2:00pm panel of the Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics symposium on October 7, 2017 at Memorial Hall. The panel, “Woman with a Camera,” will reconsider the work of historical figures such as Berenice Abbott and Diane Arbus, as well as reflect on the contemporary practice of artists such as Anne Collier and Zoe Leonard, probing the paradoxes of the term “woman photographer”.  With viewpoints from art historians, professors, artists and writers, we will analyze the personal narratives that accompany and complicate the... Continue reading Symposium Panel Considers the Common Trope of a Woman with a Camera

What defines the term “women’s film”, and what does it look like to explore the complexities and limitations of the category? This topic will be addressed, specifically within the framework of Latin American films made by women in the panel discussion Women of Latin American Film, part of the Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics symposium on October 7, 2017. Two aspects of “women’s film” will be explored: the oversimplified terms of the definition itself, i.e., women writing and directing their own stories; and a less obvious subject, the development of an audience which recognizes women’s voices as distinct based on their female authorship. With perspectives from... Continue reading Examining the Complexities of Women’s Film

Cincinnati, OH – FotoFocus is expanding its Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics symposium, taking place at Memorial Hall on Saturday, October 7, 2017. Tabitha Soren, a photographer who is featured in numerous publications such as The New Yorker and on the cover of New York Times Magazine, and Katy Grannan, whose photographs are included in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art among others, will host a keynote conversation discussing their means and methods of representing American life through their work. Prior to the keynote, Aruna D’Souza, writer and critic, will offer a commentary on the... Continue reading FotoFocus Expands Second Century Symposium: Katy Grannan, Tabitha Soren, and Aruna D’Souza Complete the Lineup

With the democratization of digital photography and technology, we are seeing a fundamental shift in how we express ourselves and in how we communicate with the wider world. Technology presents a new space to shape and share our identity, with opportunities to connect with greater communities and to craft more specific personas. This intersection can be overwhelmingly positive by allowing us to experience new perspectives and ideas, and it can be alarmingly negative as we engage with digital norms and the performance of the self. These ideas will be explored during Gender and Imagining in the Online Realm, part of the Second Century: Photography, Feminism,... Continue reading Exploring the Interplay Between Technology and Gender

Cincinnati will soon have the opportunity to hear from FemFour, the local creators and activists behind the traveling exhibition, “Still They Persist: Protest Art of the 2017 Women’s Marches”. The group will kick off the one-day Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics symposium at Memorial Hall on October 7, 2017 at 10am. FemFour, a group of socially minded members of the Cincinnati arts community, has assembled a traveling archive of posters and placards, sculptures, textiles, and photo/video documentation from the Women's March of 2017. This continually evolving archive attempts to keep alive a message of ongoing resistance. How FemFour Began Initially intended to fill a large wall space... Continue reading FotoFocus Shines a Spotlight on FemFour