After we moved to another country, I continued focusing my photography on Women in Common. A friend working with a sex worker/AIDS project asked if I had any interest in documenting the lives of a couple of the women. My emphasis was then, and still is today, on who they are at home with their families, not the work they do or did. What started with me photographing one woman grew to more than twenty and working with them once a month, became once a week, then almost every day. This work became Women in Common: The Ladies’ Guild photographic portfolio. These experiences taught me not to make assumptions or judgements about an individual’s appearance, the color of their skin, how they speak, or what they do.
The Ladies’ Guild series had been shown in metropolitan settings, but when I had it up for the Open Studio, it was the first time it was being seen by people from both small towns and large cities. What impressed me was that there were two women, about my age, middle class, who approached me separately wanting to view the work with me. We set up a time. After we went through the 2 stories, a discussion ensued that lasted a couple of hours. To me that was the best outcome possible.
New stories will be added.
