Women Photographers. The Achievements of Women in Photography, Honoring Barbara Morgan and Eve Arnold.

Theme issue of Photographic INsight, Volume 2, Number 4, 1992. Most of this issue is based on a symposium held at the Rhode Island School of Design on March 2, 1991. Includes "Women, Photography and the Art Establishment: How Far Have We Come? A Symposium;" Sung, Chue Mei; The Pine, The Bamboo and the Plum: The Work of Barbara Morgan" by Diana Emery Hulick; "A Conversation Between Eve Arnold and April Rapier;" "Reinventing Photographic History: Addendum to the Symposium" by Deborah Johnson; "Catalina Island: Twenty Six Miles and Thirty Four years Away," essay by Deborah Irmas, photographs by Linda Lindroth; and book reviews. Entire issue, wraps, 28 pages. Very good with crimp at lower right.  Summary:

Photographic INsight, Volume 2, Number 4 (1992) is a significant scholarly record of a symposium held at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1991. The issue serves as both a celebration of individual legends and a critical assessment of the institutional barriers facing women in the arts.

The RISD Symposium: A Status Report

The centerpiece of the issue is the transcribed symposium, "Women, Photography and the Art Establishment: How Far Have We Come?" * The Debate: Participants discuss the progress made since the 1970s feminist movement, grappling with whether the "Art Establishment" has truly integrated women or merely created a separate, secondary niche for them.

• Reinventing History: In her addendum, Deborah Johnson argues for a radical restructuring of photographic history, suggesting that simply adding women to the existing canon is insufficient; the canon itself must be redefined to value different modes of expression.

Honoring the Masters

The issue pays specific tribute to two pillars of 20th-century photography:

• Barbara Morgan: Diana Emery Hulick’s essay, "The Pine, The Bamboo and the Plum," offers a deep metaphorical analysis of Morgan’s work. It connects her famous dance photography and light drawings to Eastern philosophy and the resilient nature of the feminine spirit.

• Eve Arnold: A candid "Conversation Between Eve Arnold and April Rapier" provides insight into Arnold’s trailblazing career at Magnum Photos. Arnold discusses the grit required to navigate a male-dominated industry and her approach to capturing high-profile subjects (like Marilyn Monroe) with dignity and depth.

Key Portfolios and Essays

• Linda Lindroth & Deborah Irmas: The feature "Catalina Island: Twenty Six Miles and Thirty Four Years Away" pairs Lindroth’s evocative imagery with Irmas’s prose. It explores the passage of time, nostalgia, and the specific "place-memory" of the California coast.

• Chue Mei Sung: The issue highlights the work of Chue Mei Sung, further diversifying the perspective by incorporating Asian-American aesthetic sensibilities and themes of cultural identity.

Core Themes

1. Institutional Critique: A recurring theme is the "glass ceiling" of museum exhibitions and gallery representation.

2. The "Female Gaze" vs. The Professional: The issue navigates the tension between being a "woman photographer" and simply being a "photographer," questioning if the gendered label helps or hinders professional recognition.

3. Legacy and Mentorship: By honoring Morgan and Arnold, the journal emphasizes the importance of lineage and the transmission of knowledge between generations of women behind the lens.

Significance: This volume remains a vital primary source for researchers of the 1990s "culture wars," documenting a specific moment when female photographers began to demand not just inclusion, but a complete re-evaluation of photographic merit.