Some Women, 2022

Installation view of Some Women at Nine Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Three photographic portraits of women are shown on a lilac wall.

For this series of editioned photographs, I used images of women convicted of violent crimes to construct a suite of sewn sculptures, then arranged the figures and photographed them as portraits. The transformation of source image to sculpture to photograph produces an ambiguous space that complicates the relationship between object and image, mimicking the process by which history creates archetypes from individuals. The titles are drawn from gospel songs that epitomize themes of transgression, damnation, and redemption, while the face of each figure has been collaged from images of different women—thereby functioning not as a portrait of any specific individual, but rather as a reflection of the gendered narratives such images are meant to carry. Dramatically lit and arranged into conspicuously strange poses, the figures operate as avatars of society’s fascinated repulsion for women who have violated cultural norms of “feminine” behavior through violence. This project was supported by a 2021 grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

A woman in a yellow button-down shirt looks away from the viewer. Her shadow is visible on the pink wall behind her.

Mercy is Greater, 2022; archival pigment print, 36 × 24.5 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.

A woman in a yellow shirt has a defiant look on her face. The space behind her is dark, while the foreground is lit with red light.

Heart that Burns, 2022 archival pigment print 19 × 13 in. framed Ed. 3 + 1AP

A woman with long black hair holds the back of her hand to her cheek. She wears a crisp yellow button-down shirt, and the background is glowing lilac and purple.

And Daughters, 2022; archival pigment print, 34 × 23 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.

A woman with short brown hair and a ruffled yellow shirt sits in a black chair. Her eyes are closed and her shoulders are slumped. There is a gray shadow on the wall behind her.

What You Were Called, 2022; archival pigment print, 26.75 × 18 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.
Collection of the Portland Art Museum.

A woman with a misshapen face and a yellow bow-tied blouse looks defiantly at the viewer.

Song for Mama, 2022; archival pigment print, 18 × 12.25 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.
Collection of Christopher Rauschenberg.

A woman in a yellow shirt holds her clasped hands at her breast. She looks at the viewer serenely, and the wall behind her is lit with rose and peach tones.

When Morning Comes, 2022; archival pigment print, 34 × 23 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.

A woman with long brown hair and a yellow button-down shirt is sitting in a chair. She looks away from the viewer, and the wall behind her shows a red shadow.

Walk Alone, 2022; archival pigment print, 24 × 16.75 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.

A woman in a gathered yellow blouse sits on a stool. Her shoulders slump and her arms dangle. The wall behind her is soft shades of yellow and pink.

Salt and Light, 2022; archival pigment print, 31 × 21 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.

An older woman in a yellow shirt and glasses looks down. Her face is partly turned away from the viewer.

Everything That Has Breath, 2022; archival pigment print, 12 × 8.25 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.

A woman with long gray-brown hair holds a yellow string and looks sadly away from the viewer. There is a strong blue shadow on the wall behind her.

Turn Your Sorrows, 2022; archival pigment print, 31 × 21 in. framed. Ed. 3 + 1AP.
Collection of the Portland Art Museum.

Installation view of Some Women at Nine Gallery in Portland, Oregon. There are three photographs of women on two walls. The walls are painted lilac and white.

Some Women, 2022; installation view at Nine Gallery, Portland, Oregon.

Installation view of Some Women at Nine Gallery in Portland, Oregon. There are five photographs of women on three walls. The walls are painted lilac and white.

Some Women, 2022; installation view at Nine Gallery, Portland, Oregon.

Installation view of Some Women at Nine Gallery in Portland, Oregon. There are five photographs of women, all different sizes, on two walls. The walls are painted lilac and white.

Some Women, 2022; installation view at Nine Gallery, Portland, Oregon.

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