Claude / Chameleon

As I am sure I have mentioned before, I lack a certain in depth knowledge on Claude Cahun. I hesitate to admit also the when I first saw one of the many self portraits, I thought her a man. Cahun has left behind a powerful body of work. Portraits that demand further attention, you cannot help but revert to and study them. She commands such a strong hold on the viewer, a serious glare, a wealth of costumes, carefully planned poses in different settings from mountain tops to mirror reflections.

Though the results are distinct in appearance from both Francesca Woodman and Hannah Wilke they all share a common trait; more than just using self portraiture they all use their own bodies to explore and present ideas through photography. They have left behind an intriguing archive that continues to inspire and fascinate all those that discover them.