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Jennette Williams: The Bathers

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In collaboration with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, the November 2009 Daylight podcast proudly features Jennette Williams' portfolio "The Bathers." For this collection of images, made within European and Turkish bathhouses, Williams has been named the winner of the 2009 CDS / Honickman First Book Prize (published by Duke University Press).

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Jenette Williams - the Bathers

I find the commentary of the photographer to be predictable.   She has entered a foreign culture and very private realm.  Instead of investigating what she sees, she is subjecting what she sees with the American prejudice.  Although Williams says she is celebrating women who are not controlled by the western constructs of body consciousness (and focus on being thin and young) she is constantly making us aware of that consciousness with her commentary.     Why do contemporary photo projects always have to have a running political statement behind them - that is usually defined even before the photographer goes out to shoot?

  • Posted by Anonymous (not verified), 11/12/2009 - 9:30am
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the bathers

I have not seen the book or the comments made by Jenette Williams, only the photos here on Daylight. My reactions are to the photos themselves. Using a camera is an investigation in itself, thanks to the eye that chooses the scene.  These photos speak clearly that we are seeing a group of women, trusting and comfortable with one another, in common enjoyment in the pleasures of bathing, regardless of opinion or commentary.  Lovely photos.  I suspect that Anonymous suffers from shock due to the American consciousness she/he so abhors. Relax a bit and just look at them.

  • Posted by P. Larson (not verified), 12/15/2009 - 2:19pm
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Jennette Williams' "The Bathers"

I had seen ads for "The Bathers" previously, so was delighted to come upon the slideshow via Daylight Magazine's Website. I watched, without the audio...

How very, very beautiful are the images of, and the bathing women themselves!! I can't wait to urge my wife to view the slideshow, which confirms, magnificently, that there are mature women in their senior years who are secure in their embodiment, so much so that they are willing to make a gift of the beauty of the settled self-acceptance of their embodiment in this phase of their lives by allowing Williams to photograph them and display the images. My thanks to these generous and courageous women of beautiful embodiment, and to Jennette Williams.

Lou Outlaw • 25 Feb 2010

beautiful but not documentary

This body of work is magnificent and well-conceived. BUT it is not documentary photography. I truly would like to read an explanation from Duke and Mary Ellen Mark as to why these photographs, which were heavily choreographed by the photographer are considered documentary. The photographer also has said she paid her subjects to pose for her.  Assigning an award for documetary dilutes the field of journalism and reportage which is already beseiged.

 

  • Posted by Anonymous (not verified), 03/09/2010 - 6:39pm
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The Bathers and the CDS/Honickman First Book Prize

While the Center for Documentary Studies is one of the sponsors of the CDS/Honickman First Book Prize in Photography, it has never been intended to be awarded solely to documentary photographers. I've pasted in some text from our guidelines . . . I hope this helps clear question up. The competition is open to American photographers of any age who have never published a book-length work and who use their cameras for creative exploration, whether it be of places, people, or communities; of the natural or social world; of beauty at large or the lack of it; of objective or subjective realities. American photographers who are pursuing work of creative or social importance have too few opportunities for support and recognition. This is especially true when photographers are engaged in personal or in-depth projects that do not have direct commercial appeal. While there are other sources for grants and fellowships in photography, the chance to see a body of work in print, as a coherent book-length work, is rare. Concerned about this problem and recognizing their shared interests, CDS and THF came together to create this important book-publication prize.

Great documentary

In collaboration with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, the November 2009 Daylight podcast proudly features Jennette Williams' portfolio "The Bathers." For this collection of images, made within European and Turkish bathhouses, Williams has been named the winner of the 2009 CDS / Honickman First Book Prize (published by Duke University Press). Just signed up for your rss feed.

Jennette Williams is a

Jennette Williams is a photography instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Williams has a master’s degree from Yale University and has been awarded a Guggenheim fellowship and grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts. Her work has been shown in exhibitions at the Bonni Benrubi, Robert Mann, and Opsis galleries in New York and the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego. Her images have also been featured in such publications as Blind Spot and the New York Times Journal, as well as in the book The Spirit of Relatives by Al and Tipper Gore. Based on her photographs of females bathers,

fact

she is celebrating women who are not controlled by the western constructs of body consciousness (and focus on being thin and young) she is constantly making us aware of that consciousness with her commentary. Why do contemporary photo projects always have to have a running political statement behind them - that is usually defined even before the photographer goes out to shoot?

Congrats.

n collaboration with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, the November 2009 Daylight podcast proudly features Jennette Williams' portfolio "The Bathers." For this collection of images, made within European and Turkish bathhouses, Williams has been named the winner of the 2009 CDS / Honickman First Book Prize (published by Duke University Press). This is wonderful info.

The images are so amazing to

The images are so amazing to see. This was definitely a long time ago. There is a lot of history in this picture. I love to see this.

Excellent Photos.

In collaboration with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, the November 2009 Daylight podcast proudly features Jennette Williams' portfolio "The Bathers." For this collection of images, made within European and Turkish bathhouses Images are amazing.

My reactions are to the

My reactions are to the photos themselves. Using a camera is an investigation in itself, thanks to the eye that chooses the scene. These photos speak clearly that we are seeing a group of women, trusting and comfortable with one another, in common enjoyment in the pleasures of bathing, regardless of opinion or commentary. Lovely photos. I suspect that Anonymous suffers from shock due to the American consciousness she/he so abhors. Relax a bit and just look at them.