Kelli Connell’s exhibition, “Pictures for Charis,” at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, delves into the history of American landscape photography through the lens of gender and sexuality. Inspired by Edward Weston’s collaborations with and photographs of writer Charis Wilson in the 1930s, Connell retraces their journey with her partner, Betsy Odom, capturing similar compositions in many of the same locations.
Weston and Wilson’s work often depicted Wilson in the nude, positioning her body as a part of the landscape to be consumed by the male gaze. In contrast, Connell’s reenactment of their collaboration reclaims the presentation of femininity for women and situates it within a framework of homosexual desire. However, Connell’s photographs do not dismantle the romanticized American landscape that Weston and Wilson helped popularize. Instead, they maintain the poetic grandeur of the scenery while offering a more inclusive perspective that allows space for diverse identities.
Displayed alongside Weston’s original works, Connell’s photographs reveal striking similarities, such as in “Doorway II” (2015) and Weston’s “Nude” (1936). Both photographers showcase the vastness of the American terrain, but only in Connell’s work does the subject, along with the surrounding landscape, exist for more than the artist alone. This shift in perspective invites viewers to reconsider the traditional narratives of American exploration and representation.
“Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis” is on view at the High Museum of Art until January 5, 2025. Co-organized by the High Museum, the University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, the exhibition offers a thought-provoking exploration of gender, sexuality, and representation in American photography.
