In-class artist research: Jo Spence (with Elaine and Longfei)

“I see myself neither as ‘heroine’ or ‘victim’, but merely as a person in struggle.” – Jo Spence

Jo Spence was a British photographer (June 1934 – May 1992) who started out in commercial photography, specialising in weddings, family portraits and actor portfolios. Her career peaked in the 1970s when she started to shoot more personal projects, often using herself as a subject. Together with lifelong collaborator and friend Terry Dennett, she co-founded the Photography Workshop Ltd, a roving platform that acted as an open resource and initiated important photography projects like ‘Who’s holding the baby’.

The woman of many talents was also an educator, writer, organiser and broadcaster. Many of her later works center around her struggle with breast cancer and leukemia, with deeply intimate photos showing how her illnesses left scars on her body and soul.

 

REMODELING PHOTO HISTORY (1982)

jo spence

This project was co-produced with Terry Dennett, and this image in particular explores the relationship between naturalism (using a human body) and the industrialised landscape, in a time where technological advancements were all the rage — and still is today. It seeks to show the harmful effects of mechanisation of society.

It draws a link between humankind (Jo Spence’s pure, unmasked body) and the era of mass industrialisation (wires and cables). Priorities shift towards technological and economical advancements, and the society gradually loses its human-ness. It also highlights the objectification of women, suggesting that the archaic mindset must change along with the advancements of industrialisation.

References:

http://www.jospence.org/index.html

http://www.c4gallery.com/editions/industrialisation.htm