On January 11, 2020, Iris McKenney, an experienced artist’s model, posed for the first time for photographers. This was my first time working with a live model and students. Iris made it a delightful experience, putting the students (and me) at ease, striking one pose after another, not rapid-fire but measured, like she was in a slow-motion slide show dance. Students were encouraged to bring hats, scarves, jackets, and other garments. There were frequent wardrobe changes!
This was a five-hour workshop at the Delaware Art Museum in conjunction with its exhibit, “Posing Beauty in African-American Culture”, curated by Deborah Willis. The exhibit explored the contested ways in which African and African American beauty have been represented in historical and contemporary contexts through a diverse range of media, especially photography.
The students in my regular Introduction to Photography course at the museum also shoot portraits, and some of those can be found here. I emphasize arrangement of hands, use of shadows, and lively expressions, usually by me.
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