words and photography by Judianne Grace
featuring Sierra Sidwell of Alaeria Agency and Maya N of Stranger Agency
Occasionally, an artist begins to want more from themselves in the work they are producing, because becoming complacent and repetitive in one’s art is one of the scariest places to be. Just because it has worked so far doesn’t mean you should always remain there. So, leading into the summer of 2024 I was having a particular internal struggle about who I was as an artist and, more importantly, what my art made visible and what it unintentionally made invisible.
As a photographer who has built a platform around the de-sexualization and normalization of the femme body in outdoor spaces, I have felt that my work has been incomplete in what and whose bodies are currently being represented as a majority within this space. There are others that have touched on this idea through notions as “divine feminine” and “female empowerment;” however, much of the time it is still representative of only one type of femme body, with women of colour and large bodies being mainly underrepresented.
“Nudity, in this case is also not used as “shock value,” but seeks to incorporate the feelings of rawness and normality of a nude body in a natural setting for the viewer.”
Within this small series of photographs, I do not claim to have done anything groundbreaking, nor do I feel that I have taken up any sort of new concept. Rather, I am hoping to reflect a noticing, or a response, to the personal self reflection I have experienced when reviewing my entire body of my work. There is an intentionality behind having both models nude and partially nude in these photographs that goes beyond seeking to take a photo of something beautiful. Nudity, in this case is also not used as “shock value,” but seeks to incorporate the feelings of rawness and normality of a nude body in a natural setting for the viewer.
This series of photos was shot on two separate days in two separate locations in British Columbia, Canada. As an Indigenous woman who grew up with deep roots within our natural landscapes my work will always tend to incorporate elements of BC’s environment as I believe it aids as a supporting character within the stories I am trying to tell.
So, in addition to looking at beauty through the aesthetic eye, I hope that my writing invites deeper understanding from viewers into the intentions of my work. I would like to create a collective understanding that photos set something in motion and, whether we like it or not, they say something about us; a reflection of our inner world that tells a small story of who we are.
I hope you enjoy this small story and the visual snippets of the very beginnings of a new journey being set in motion.
Talent 1: Sierra Sidwell @sierrasidwell of @alaeriaagency
Talent 2: Maya N @permanentmystery of @strangeragency
Photographer: @judiannegrace – Judianne Grace
