Winogrand, Garry. Women Are Beautiful by Garry Winogrand.

Published in 1975 by Light Gallery Books, Women Are Beautiful is perhaps the most controversial and polarizing work by Garry Winogrand, a titan of American street photography. Curated by the influential museum director John Szarkowski, the book consists of 85 candid black-and-white photographs taken during the height of the sexual revolution and the burgeoning women’s liberation movement.

The "Snapshot" Aesthetic

The volume is a masterclass in Winogrand's signature style—characterized by the "tilted frame" and a relentless, high-energy spontaneity.

• The Street as Stage: Winogrand prowled the sidewalks, parks, and protests of New York City, capturing women in mid-motion, mid-laugh, or mid-glance.

• Technical Rawness: The images favor emotional and visual "noise" over traditional composition. They emphasize the chaotic energy of 1960s and 70s urban life through a wide-angle lens.

Themes and Subject Matter

The book serves as a visual essay on the changing social landscape of femininity:

• The "New" Woman: Winogrand captures a generation of women who had shed the rigid formality of the 1950s, appearing in the frames as confident, uninhibited, and physically expressive.

• Fashion and Form: The book documents the era’s shift in attire—miniskirts, braless silhouettes, and loose hair—using these visual cues to signal a broader cultural shift toward liberation.

• The Male Gaze: Winogrand famously stated, "I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed." However, many critics point to the book as a prime example of the "male gaze," where the photographer’s own desire and fascination drive the shutter.

Critical Reception and Controversy

Since its release, Women Are Beautiful has sparked intense debate among art historians and feminists:

• Celebration or Objectification? While some see the book as a vibrant celebration of female vitality and freedom, others criticize it as a collection of voyeuristic snapshots that reduce complex individuals to mere objects of male observation.

• Szarkowski’s Role: The inclusion of an introductory essay by John Szarkowski attempted to frame the work as a purely formal exercise in "the photography of observation," though this did little to dampen the social critiques of the book.

Legacy

Despite the controversy, the book remains a crucial historical document. It captures a specific "look" and "feel" of a decade in flux, and it solidified Winogrand’s reputation as the preeminent documentarian of the American street, even when his subject matter courted social discomfort.

Significance: In the history of photobooks, Women Are Beautiful stands as a definitive—if complicated—testament to the intersection of 1970s street photography and the politics of gender.