Jerrie Hurd: Beyond the Male Gaze

Jerrie Hurd: Beyond the Male Gaze
Guest curated by Joan Markowitz
January 19 – May 26, 2023
Macky Auditorium Concert Hall at University of Colorado-Boulder

The male gaze commonly describes a way of looking at and being seen in the world that empowers men and sexualizes women. It comes out of feminist studies and film studies and is often applied to the visual arts. Although usually applied to women, the process of objectification and sexualization also impacts men. For example, Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington recently complained about being labeled “a hunk.” Photographers like Jerrie Hurd who specialize in figurative images often
struggle to find form and beauty in the human figure while avoiding objectification.

About the Artist
Jerrie Hurd took up photography later in life after working as a novelist and teaching writing at several colleges. Her photographic work is almost exclusively figurative, and she often depicts figures in water and outdoor environments. She is interested in how water creates an ethereal quality and presents artistic challenges as models quickly change poses.

Hurd’s work is influenced by the photographs and writing of Anne Brigman (1869–1950), an early proponent of women’s rights known for her photographs of nude women. Hurd says, “Some modern feminists object to pictures of nude women because they appeal to the male gaze. Anne Brigman argues that it does not help to cover up and that hats, long skirts, and veils are also about the male gaze. I like to think that my photographs continue in that tradition. I often include masks, veils, and long skirts in my work as a way of asking viewers to look—really look—at what is happening between the body and coverings. This extends to the male body, which has its own rigid societal expectations.”