Now that the easter egg hunt is over, we return to our normal programming ...
Cindy Hinant is an artist interested in
representations of women in art and the media making her a natural to join the www.ishotkatemoss.com
family!
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| An image from Trampstamps, 2011 |
A great deal of Cindy’s art focuses on women
taking or losing control of their own sexual image. As an example, her series Trampstamps shows
found photographs of Playboy tattoos that “signify that the wearer is not just
a passive toy for the boys, but an active individual who claims her own status
as a sexual object”. In the presentation of these images Cindy questioned “the
notion that tattooing a logo on your skin is liberating, and (she) is suspicious of
the idea that a brand devoted to men’s pleasure can symbolize empowerment and
sexual freedom for women”. Her work has been exhibited widely including exhibitions
at the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art
North Miami and the Museo de Arte El Salvador. After learning of her
work, and following on from Keren Moscovitch’s submission to
iskm, I thought that Cindy would be the perfect artist to get us over the egg hunt!
iskm: How/why did you select the source
image/s that you did?
Cindy Hinant (CH): I found images of Kate
because I was googling 'celebrity upskirts'. 'Upskirting' is the practice of taking unauthorized
photographs from below a woman’s skirt. In most of the US (and in many
countries) it is legal and not considered a violation for photographers to take
these photos as long as it is in a public place. These photographs function in a moral grey area as they can be
viewed as candid shots that are an invasion of privacy by the paparazzi or as
intentional actions performed by celebrities as a marketing strategy. A long
time fetish genre, upskirting was popularized by Britney Spears and Paris
Hilton circa 2006. Today it is more prevalent among “B list” celebrities and
seems to be a rite of passage for child stars into adulthood. I think the
upskirt is an interesting tactic for celebrities to develop their sex-icon
image without being labeled as a 'slut'.
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| An 'upskirt' of kate that we will not do the honor of crediting |
iskm: Kate
poses naked often so there is an even stranger voyeurism at play in attempting to get an upskirt photo of
her specifically. Why do you think this is?
CH: I can't say why Kate has taken so many upskirt
photos, they could very well have been inadvertent (she wears underwear in most
of them). The upskirt is not about nudity, it’s about being exposed. It
allows for a voyeuristic desire which is much more subversive than any magazine
spread. These photos are also “candid” in that they show us the “real”
star, rather than the photoshopped version of Kate available in other media.
CH: Most upskirt photos are taken as the
celebrity exits from a black town car or limo at night when they are most
likely to be wearing some kind of short cocktail dress. I 'paint' the images black in photoshop, which unifies the series and
flattens the background. I also flip the images upside down; it makes them
difficult to read, and slows down the pace at which the viewer processes these
images which I think gives more time to consider the strange phenomena of upskirting.
I also find it funny to flip them … they are 'upside-down-up-skirts'.
iskm: In a very strange way, this voyeurism
reminds me of Kohei Yoshiyuki’s “The Park”. I am repulsed by the original idea yet very much want to see your interpretation:
iskm: How do you feel your approach to
photography affected your submission to ishotkatemoss?
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| Some examples of Cindy Hinant's Upskirts (Kate), 2014 |
CH: I’m not a photographer. I work with a lot
of found images but I almost never take a photograph. I’m interested in
representations in art and in the media that seem to empower women while
effectively demeaning them. Often sexualized media personalities are presented
as if they have taken advantage of the present gender biased culture that we
live in and they are seen as empowered because they have 'chosen' to be objectified and thus seem to have mastered their
sexual power for their own fame and success. It’s a way for a lucky few to
take advantage of a corrupt system under the guise of 'girl power'
while enforcing negative stereotypes. Kate Moss uses her body to her own
advantage while perpetuating a system that discriminates against women. I don’t
blame her specifically, but the culture of treating women as objects, of which
she is a participant, is a problem.
iskm: Which photographer/s would you most
want to most see involved in ishotkatemoss?
CH: Ei Arakawa. Everything he touches
turns into a beautiful poem. He did an installation/performance last year
and one of the materials he used was trashy celebrity perfumes. I’m sure
he could make a Kate Moss work that would make us all reconsider her legacy and
our own.
Cindy’s work is fascinating and important. She
will be featured in the forthcoming book New York, New Wave: The Legacy
of Feminist Artists in Emerging Practices by Kathy Battista plus some of
her pieces will be included in the upcoming exhibition Please Kill The
Mainstream, curated by Giuseppe
Ruffo and Pietro Tatafiore which is opening at the Galerija Zecevic on April 28th
in Belgrade, Serbia. More information about
these projects, and her work, can be found at www.cindyhinant.com.
And like Cindy: Observe. Slow Down.
Shoot. Submit.
