New Annie Leibovitz exhibition celebrates women
<p>Annie Leibovitz, 66, widely considered one of the best female photographers of all time, recently launched a new exhibit in London, Women: New Portraits. This project, 17 years in the making, features portraits of high-profile women from around the world, such as Michelle Obama, Adele, Lupita Nyong’o and Aung San Suu Kyi.</p>
<p>She began work for this exhibit back in 1999 after a suggestion by her late partner Susan Sontag. In the incredible photographs, Leibovitz showcases the role of the modern woman – the artist, the musician, the CEO, the politician, the writer, the entrepreneur. “What I love to do with my work is show what women do,” she told <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.wharf.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/annie-leibovitz-exhibition-women-new-10733732" target="_blank">The Wharf</a></span></strong>.</p>
<p>Rather than showing women as many photographers do – made-up, styled and dressed to perfection – Leibovitz’s portraits capture women in a raw state, showing them as they truly are. “The work is supposed to be democratic – all the frame sizes are fairly equal and you could have Hilary Clinton next to a homeless woman, there was no rhyme or reason,” she says.</p>
<p>With such an array of incredible women posing for her series, it is clear that Leibovitz is trying to create an accurate depiction of what it means to be a woman in today’s society. Gloria Steinem, who sat for the project, said, “there have not been representations of women that show them as whole human beings, so this is remedial. Yes, men can be denied their full humanity, but not as much. Each one of these photographs is a novel, it is so amazing, there is a complete human story in every photograph.”</p>
<p>According to Leibovitz, who holds the honour of being the first American to photograph the Queen at Buckingham Palace, her project is still ongoing, and on the top of her list of possible subjects is German Chancellor Angela Merkel.</p>
<p>The exhibition, which has already shown in London and Tokyo, is currently on display in San Francisco and will be followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, Istanbul, Frankfurt, New York and Zurich. For more information on tour dates, <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.ubs.com/microsites/annie-leibovitz/en/tour/all-cities.html" target="_blank">click here</a></span></strong>.</p>
<p><em>Image: REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth</em></p>
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