Madison art critic James Rhem discusses the life and work of early 20th-century painter-turned photographer Anne Brigman in the opening address of Lawrence University’s 2009-10 Visiting Artist Series.
Rhem presents “Anne Brigman: Freedom, Art & Womanhood” Monday, Oct. 26 at 4:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Trained as a painter, Brigman embarked on a photography career at the age of 32. Among her favorite subjects were “slim, hearty, unaffected women of early maturity,” whom she often photographed in the nude in the natural settings of the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California.
In a time when women were frequently repressed and photography was largely still considered a documentary form, Brigman tried to create art that showed what she felt women needed most — an absence of fear. After taking a photograph, she often manipulated the film by using paints and etching tools.
Brigman was one of two original California members of the Photo-Secession, an art photography group founded by Alfred Stieglitz to promote photography as a fine art and later was named a Fellow of the group.
Rhem, an independent scholar and critic, frequently lectures on and writes about photography. He is the author of four books, including “Ralph Eugene Meatyard: The Family Album of Lucybelle Crater and Other Figurative Photographs,” a book featuring the artwork of the 20th century American photographer famous for his photographs of people wearing masks. His current research focuses on the work of Brigman.
Rhem’s appearance is sponsored by the Lawrence University Department of Art and Art History and the Photography Club.
