Feminist Black and White Photography

Savannah Spirit The Remedy Silver gelatin on Ilford multigrade paper, signed, edition of 5 Scroll for more on the artist and this series and an excerpt from the recent monograph, The Archive #6: Savannah Spirit, published by Quiet Lunch: "When I first saw Savannah Spirit’s early nudes, I felt immediately struck by their power and awareness. Of course, they were traditionally beautiful, with classical lighting and shadows from Venetian blinds. Some of them were sexy, in the way bodies are sexy. But they weren’t sexualized. Looking at them, I felt powerful. I felt good. They depicted the body of an adult woman viewing herself with love. I’ve been devoted to them ever since. To me, these portraits invoke the power of a landscape. The way the light rolls over the body evokes the body’s connection with the earth, with sunrise and its long deep shadows. The patterns of darkness can break the figure into geometry, creating a distance between the viewer and the image, as in End of An Era and Staying Abreast. Yet others, like Resist and Be The Woman You Needed When You Were Younger, create direct address, and sometimes empathy. Sometimes, the viewer takes the vantage point of the artist, and the piece becomes a further study in introspection. The titles, like The Bottom Line and Read Between the Lines, often invoke idioms, figures of speech, or stereotypes that themselves point back to the culture that produced them. As conceptual components, they are both playful and political, which, when juxtaposed against image to elicit a mood or reaction. For me, it’s different every time. I am often pricked to discover how the vernacular of Hollywood capitalism, juxtaposed to a powerful, nude self-portrait of a woman, almost always feels a bit surprising–as if I wasn’t expecting her to be there. Recent works, like Network, use both shadow and mirror to create a doubled image, the artist and her reflection, further suggesting the sense of a dialogue with the self. The two bodies are not a mirror image, though seen in a mirror: a conversation between two sides of oneself, rather than a literal twinning. Over the past decade, as this series took on greater and deeper life, Savannah and I have had countless wonderful discussions about women, bodies and art. As a former artist’s model, early in her career, she participated in the form of power that was available to her: that of the quieted muse. She knew she was being objectified, she recalls, but at least she was included in the club. I instantly recognized that message. She was still creating her own work, though, and one day, she realized she’d had enough of seeing herself through someone else’s lens. She turned the camera on herself, and began to take a very different kind of picture. During the pandemic, the feeling of being alone with oneself can sometimes feel overwhelming. These recent pieces reflect that agitation of the dialogue alone, the being with oneself, seeking connection..." - Katie Peyton Hofstadter Classic black and white silver gelatin print, signed by the artist Savannah Spirit. This is a self portrait of the artist. Categorize between self-portrait, contemporary feminism, take back control, I am my own muse, my body my choice...

Savannah Spirit Amor de Artuño Silver gelatin on Ilford multigrade paper, signed, edition of 5 Scroll for more on the artist and this series and an excerpt from the recent monograph, The Archive #6: Savannah Spirit, published by Quiet Lunch: "When I first saw Savannah Spirit’s early nudes, I felt immediately struck by their power and awareness. Of course, they were traditionally beautiful, with classical lighting and shadows from Venetian blinds. Some of them were sexy, in the way bodies are sexy. But they weren’t sexualized. Looking at them, I felt powerful. I felt good. They depicted the body of an adult woman viewing herself with love. I’ve been devoted to them ever since. To me, these portraits invoke the power of a landscape. The way the light rolls over the body evokes the body’s connection with the earth, with sunrise and its long deep shadows. The patterns of darkness can break the figure into geometry, creating a distance between the viewer and the image, as in End of An Era and Staying Abreast. Yet others, like Resist and Be The Woman You Needed When You Were Younger, create direct address, and sometimes empathy. Sometimes, the viewer takes the vantage point of the artist, and the piece becomes a further study in introspection. The titles, like The Bottom Line and Read Between the Lines, often invoke idioms, figures of speech, or stereotypes that themselves point back to the culture that produced them. As conceptual components, they are both playful and political, which, when juxtaposed against image to elicit a mood or reaction. For me, it’s different every time. I am often pricked to discover how the vernacular of Hollywood capitalism, juxtaposed to a powerful, nude self-portrait of a woman, almost always feels a bit surprising–as if I wasn’t expecting her to be there. Recent works, like Network, use both shadow and mirror to create a doubled image, the artist and her reflection, further suggesting the sense of a dialogue with the self. The two bodies are not a mirror image, though seen in a mirror: a conversation between two sides of oneself, rather than a literal twinning. Over the past decade, as this series took on greater and deeper life, Savannah and I have had countless wonderful discussions about women, bodies and art. As a former artist’s model, early in her career, she participated in the form of power that was available to her: that of the quieted muse. She knew she was being objectified, she recalls, but at least she was included in the club. I instantly recognized that message. She was still creating her own work, though, and one day, she realized she’d had enough of seeing herself through someone else’s lens. She turned the camera on herself, and began to take a very different kind of picture. During the pandemic, the feeling of being alone with oneself can sometimes feel overwhelming. These recent pieces reflect that agitation of the dialogue alone, the being with oneself, seeking connection..." - Katie Peyton Hofstadter Classic black and white silver gelatin print, signed by the artist Savannah Spirit. This is a self portrait of the artist. Categorize between self-portrait, contemporary feminism, take back control, I am my own muse, my body my choice...

Savannah Spirit My Body, My Choice Silver gelatin on Ilford multigrade paper, signed, edition of 5 Scroll for more on the artist and this series and an excerpt from the recent monog...

Hatay is a visual artist, a healer and a former Rock and Roll photojournalist. Born in Scotland of a Hungarian physicist/inventor and an English art dealer, she grew up in an international environment. Her father encouraged original thinking and experimentation; her mother nourished her creativity and her intuitive skills. Leaving her home in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, for Munich, Germany, she apprenticed to Bauhaus photographer Frl. Berthe Himmler. The next step was New York City where Hatay began to freelance in all aspects of photography. It was when she photographed Jimi Hendrix at Madison Square Garden on May 18, 1969 and was inspired by his music that she got a chance to spread her wings artistically. She was initially inspired by his energy, his vision and his originality. "Jimi Hendrix was absolutely amazing - it is not possible to put words to the Experience. He was, and still is, unique. I didn't know at the time I photographed him that he was interested in his music being a healing power. I learned a lot about this aspect of Hendrix about ten years later when I met people who knew him. When they heard how much I was interested in the healing aspects of his music, they shared their stories with me. I used some of this information in my two books, "Jimi Hendrix, The Spirit Lives On" and "Jimi Hendrix, Reflections and Visions". Nona's experimental techniques were used in her photographs on many other Rock stars, such as Tina Turner, James Brown, and Frank Zappa. She had a major exhibit of her work in Paris. ORIGINAL PHOTO ART one of a kind - experimental & hand painted are in many private collections & museums HARD ROCK CAFE INTERNATIONAL exhibits over 200 original Hatay photoartworks of MUSICIAN worldwide A few original vintage photoartworks available from Studio Hatay 2012 Limited edition archival giclee prints available September from Studio Hatay or Gallery shows ESSAYS, LIMITED EDITION PORTFOLIOS & EXHIBITS ( partial list ) 1968 THREE SUNDAYS IN WASHINGTON SQUARE New York City, NY - one copy handmade book 1969 NEW YORK CITY - essay/exhibit Peace Marches, other events, personalities, Abi Hoffman, Dick Gregory, Stan Lee, Moondog. others, and concerts Fillmore East and Apollo 1975 SAN FRANCISCO HOOKERS BALL (exhibit purchased by Margo St James) 1976 CASTRO STREET FESTIVAL (Sylvester performing) exhibit color (hand painted) expanded photographs 1978 HENDRIX PORTFOLIO limited edition boxed portfolio of 10 original experimental photographs of Jimi Hendrix with tape of 10 songs illustrated (designed to experience listening while looking at the multidimensional pictures and reading Hendrix's lyrics/poems) b/w 1980 THE ROSICRUCIAN PARK, San Jose CA (world headquarters) color photos & experimental b/w 1982 JAMES BROWN & TINA TURNER - limited edition portfolio 1983 COLOR EXPANDED PORTRAITS - hand painted photos - many exhibits & commissions 1986 COLOR EXPANDED VINTAGE CARS at Limerick CT exhibited AUTO ART...

In this rich self portrait, Savannah Spirit takes the tradition of black and white female nude photography, and turns the gaze back on itself. In this series, the muse is the artist,...

Underwater photograph of naked young woman processed in an abstract black and white symmetrical composition. Original gallery quality archival pigment print signed by the artist. ...