On June 17, 2014, we joined artist Jo Ann Callis for a conversation with Lesley A. Martin and Amelia Lang, publisher and managing editor of Aperture’s book program. Callis discussed the evolution of her work, which began under the instruction of Robert Heinecken, whose work was recently exhibited in a retrospective at MoMA, and developed through her own exploration of tactile elements and experiences. Callis also discussed her mid-1970s investigation of the nude body and sexuality, featured in her new Aperture book Other Rooms. In that work, the artist’s playful, evocative use of constrictions and overlays on the human form, including twine, belts, tape, and other everyday materials, is both humorous and fraught. It offers an intensely personal assessment of the variable meanings of pleasure, eros, and the female nude as a staple of fine art photography. After her discussion, Callis took questions from audience members.
Watch “Jo Ann Callis: Other Rooms” Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 on Vimeo.
