We’ve all seen the TED Talk on the importance of “power posing” when it comes to asserting yourself in the workplace, and even if the truth in that remains to be seen, there’s no doubt that one’s posture can impart a message. What’s more, trends in posture have changed considerably over time; according to Vogue, for instance, this decade’s defining posture is the “Gargoyle Bend” , a hunch-backed, slouched silhouette as a result of our incessant bending over devices. Ostensibly, posture is as revealing about the zeitgeist as the rising and falling of hemlines.
In “Posturing”, a brand new photobook from curators Shonagh Marshall and Holly Hay, this intriguing subject is examined through the lens of contemporary fashion photography — to captivating effect. The book examines how body poses have changed in fashion imagery over recent years, honing in on a new generation of image-makers (21 to be precise) with a penchant for interesting stances.
Blommers & Schumm for The Gentlewoman, ‘Navy’ Autumn/Winter 2010
“I noticed a move from the presentation of the body in a glamorous sexualised way that defined naked consumerism of the early 2000s, to a celebration of aesthetic oddness, which in turn edits our reading of clothing,” explains Marshall of the book’s concept. “I took the idea to Holly, who was Photo Editor at AnOther Magazine at the time, and together we defined the Posturing movement, selecting photographers that we felt employed this approach to pose.”
Among the photographers included in this striking collection are Tyrone Lebon, Zoe Ghertner, Hanna Moon, Casper Sejersen, Brianna Capozzi, Blommers & Schumm, Joyce NG, Reto Schmidt and Charlotte Wales. Their images reveal bodies in unusual, sometimes uncomfortable positions, a literal take on bending-over backwards. Legs are up in the air, backs are on the ground, arms are outstretched and reaching upwards, downwards, all-wards; the body becomes an impossible collection of limbs and angles, movements and shapes, that by necessity changes how we perceive it. “What was important was that this very unique and specific approach to the body was not a one off in the photographer’s practice but rather a very dedicated approach to exploring the body and challenging the way we see it in a fashion image,” says Hay of the curation process.
Lena C Emery for The Gentlewoman, ‘Practise’ Spring/Summer 2014
The result is a portfolio that appraises garments in fresh ways, while allowing unforeseen narratives to unfold: a woman lies back on her shoulders, propping her legs upwards on teetering heels, and peers at the sky from the pavement; a youthful hand clasps gently to an older, age-worn one; a model in white, knee-high boots drapes herself over a discarded car seat, assuming a ‘damsel in distress’ pose. We are left wondering what prompted these interactions and off-kilter movements, a refreshing contrast to the blatant “sell, sell, sell” aesthetic of previous generations. The underlying message feels both timely and significant: women are free to use their bodies in whatever way they want. These intriguingly beautiful images are accompanied by interviews with the photographers, as well as set designers, stylists and commissioning editors, to create what Marshall describes as “a document in this new movement in fashion photography”.
Pascal Gambarte for Marfa Journal, ‘Being Michael Rothstein’ March 2017
Brianna Capozzi for Re-Edition Magazine, Spring/Summer 2017
Reto Schmid for Under the Influence Magazine, “Relative Transparency”, Spring/Summer 2016
Charlie Engman for AnOther Magazine, A Nod And A Glance A Gesture For One Word Autumn:Winter 2015
Johnny Dufort for AnOther Magazine Go Fish Autumn Winter 2017
“Posturing”— a collaboration between THE OUTNET.COM and Ground Floor Project — is available now from Self Publish Be Happy.