Woman with Wet Hair 1978

Jo Ann Callis made this photograph, Woman with Wet Hair, using dye transfer print. The image presents a woman with short, wet hair, seated in a floral armchair. She's seen from behind, with a lamp casting a soft light that accentuates the nape of her neck. Made in the United States, this artwork speaks to the shifting social landscape around the representation of women, particularly within the male gaze and institutions that promote it. The quiet intimacy, the casual pose, and the everyday setting push against the hyper-sexualized images often seen in art. Callis may have been commenting on the cultural norms of beauty and how women are perceived, inviting viewers to reconsider conventional standards. By studying similar photographs from the time, alongside feminist writings and social commentaries, we can gain a deeper understanding of its place in photographic history. Art, after all, is always embedded within its social context.