Connie Butler

It was my great pleasure to serve as a juror for the Women in Photography International exhibition. As is always true in the situation of juried exhibitions, I was delighted with the opportunity to be introduced to so much wonderful work being made by women working in photography worldwide. I was most impressed by the color work which was broad in its subject and excellent in technique. In particular, the work of Bravo, Clarke, Sapountzi, Nye and Sarri was striking. Also represented is some work in which conceptual liberties were taken or provoked. McLemore's strangely edgy representations of places of leisure were psychologically charged and beautiful to look at. The black and white mode is still and always in the work of Brown and Sartor, haunting pictures of isolation with references to photographers such as Tina Barney, and the work of Connelly which stretched the limits of the medium and the abstraction of the subject. More conventional pictures such as those by Seligman, Drucker, Bogle, Wilson and Pulga were equally beautiful and articulated quite personal subjects.

I believe we have orchestrated a wonderfully rich body of work and hope that it inspires dialogue among the community of women photographers represented by WIPI. Thanks to all who submitted their work for consideration.

Connie Butler
Curator
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
250 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Biographie
Cornelia (Connie) H. Butler

Curator, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles April 2001 - Present, Associate Curator, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles November 1997 - March 2001 Assistant Curator, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles January 1996 - October 1997 Oversees construction of and programming for Works on Paper Study Center to open in 1998. Organizes exhibitions and oversees growth of permanent collection in the area of drawings and photographs. Curator of Contemporary Art, Neuberger Museum of Art, New York September 1992 - June 1995, Independent March 1992 - September 1992 Curatorial projects for the Bronx Museum of Art, New York; Rubin Spangle Gallery, New York; Center for Photography, Woodstock, New York. Recent PANELS AND LECTURES Beaver College Art Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lecture new installation, 1998. Yale University, lecture on contemporary photography, 1997. Santa Barbara Museum of Art, lecture, "Drawing Now," 1996. Whitney Museum of American Art, lecture on Beverly Semmes, 1996

Joyce Wilson

It was a pleasure to be invited by Maryanne Charis of HOPA, and Jean Ferro, President of Women in Photography International to be a juror for this exhibition. I was intrigued by the name chosen, and found an interesting parallel in the theme of Women and Tea. The teapot and teacup have this beautiful roundness of shape that is also very much a part of the female form. Rings, circles and roundness as symbols are found in prehistoric caves, and in most cultures including Christianity to symbolize life, birth, love, and unity in both nature and art. This choice of theme was possibly quite accidental, but I found it fascinating.
One feels time standing still when viewing many of the images—we remember a pantry shelf from our childhood, a glimpse of grandmother’s table and memories of an outing on a warm summer day. Photography gives us a beautiful language to explore and share stories. Throughout history, women have been the storytellers, and it is with dignity and grace that these images tell endless stories. We see the women of other cultures; heads covered or veiled, and wonder about their lives. In other images, we experience and relive our own times of solitude, our times of joy, of sorrow, and of pure ecstasy. The act of creating has always empowered women? Be it motherhood, the arts or just "being". These women artists are modern day storytellers with their cameras and they have given us much to enjoy and ponder.

I never cease to be amazed at the power of photographs, and it was very apparent during judging that the impact of an image and the ability of a photograph to tell a story were the ultimate factor. There are three decades separating my world and that of my colleague, Cornelia Butler. Cornelia is a young mother and comes from an academic background, and I already have 9 grandchildren and 40 years of experience as a working photographer. However, it was an easy task judging together as we had tremendous respect for those photographs that moved us, and felt were worthy of a second look. There were many wonderful images to select from with a variety of styles and artistic approaches, but regardless of technique, the power of the image and the story determined our selection process.

In recent times, we have witnessed a resurgence of the strength of women, and the need for mankind to cherish and protect Mother, whether it is Mother Nature or the human persona of The Mother. Women everywhere are learning to nourish their souls, to take time to enjoy and be creative— a cup of tea can provide just that moment of stillness in our busy lives.

This 20th Anniversary Exhibit of Women in Photography International is certainly a celebration of the spirit of women, and a tribute to the wonderful artistry of the photographers whose images are represented.

Congratulations for this wonderful Anniversary Exhibition.

Joyce Wilson
Photographer and Professor, Brooks Institute of Photography,
Santa Barbara,CA

Biographie
Joyce Wilson

Joyce Wilson is one of today’s premier photographers and has been a sought-after teacher both nationally and internationally for the past 30 years. Wilson holds the master of Photography/Craftsman degree from the Professional Photographers of America and is a Fellow of the American Society of Photographers. She was awarded an Honorary Master of Science in Photography from Brooks Institute of Photography in 1984. At the 1999 PPA International Conference she was honored with the Gerhard Bakker award for outstanding service through education in photography and visual communication. Wilson has been featured for several years by Fuji Film and Mamiya, and her portrait and lifestyle images are represented worldwide. She is world renowned for her beautiful and sensitive images portraying the human form, and is part of the permanent collection at the International Photography Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Wilson is currently a faculty member at Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.