I Made Space For a Good Man 2009

Curator: Deborah Willis's photographic print, "I Made Space For a Good Man," presents us with a powerful triptych of images. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the stark contrast. The film strip format and cool blue background frame these intimate, vulnerable portraits. Curator: Indeed, the use of the film strip alludes to the photographic process itself and the way images are constructed. Note how the varying states of dress across the panels may be a reference to labor, exposure, and objectification within the gaze. Editor: I see a shift in the subject’s gaze and pose through each frame. The final image, with her arm raised, echoes classical depictions of reclining nudes, but here infused with personal agency. The text accompanying each frame adds layers of meaning. Curator: The artist employs text and image to engage with the social construction of gender and race. The accompanying phrases offer a poignant commentary on relationships and self-definition, turning the means of representation into a means of resistance. Editor: This work leaves you pondering about the narratives we create around women, and how they, in turn, reclaim their stories. It's a powerful visual statement, and a testament to Willis’s critical eye.