ANTHEM :: Wendy Babcox

Main Gallery

January 12, 2019

The inspiration for this exhibition is a series of Polaroid photographs taken in 1998 of the artist laughing in close proximity to the camera. An exploration of notions of the unruly woman and the subversive power of women’s laughter, Babcox reimagines this imagery in the context of large-scale, heavily saturated prints. Inspired also by the writings of Hélène Cixous, and Mikail Bahktin’s notions of the carnivalesque, Babcox explores how women’s laughter proposes a potent form of resistance, subversion and provocation. 

A recently naturalized American citizen, Babcox considers the potential for a woman’s voice and its possible allegiances. The images hold the latent voice of their protagonist, but also perhaps a rallying cry or a rousing tune in solidarity. They are a joyful expression of impropriety, mischief and unity and suggest voices raised in conspiratorial harmony. And the beat goes on…