The history of photography, like many other histories, has been largely shaped by the contributions of men. This is despite the fact that women have been behind many incredible innovations. For instance, plant biologist and image-maker Anna Atkins (1799-1871) is considered the first person to have ever published a photo book. In 1843, she shared her detailed botanical studies in Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. There are thought to be 20 known copies of Atkin’s volume in existence. Today, the photo book immediately springs to mind when we think of a photographer – a testament to the legacy of her work.
What other incredible innovations do we miss when women are excluded from the history of photography? In recent years, we have seen creatives, galleries and publishers attempt to give us a clearer picture of this historical blind spot. In 2022, art historian Katy Hessel released The Story of Art Without Men and, two years later, artist Joy Gregory shared Shining Lights: Black Women Photographers in 1980s-90s Britain to highlight overlooked names, such as Claudette Holmes, Carole Wright and Mitra Tabrizian. In Greece, the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMΣT) is currently presenting a cycle of exhibitions dedicated to female-identifying practitioners titled, What if Women Ruled the World? Now, Muzeum Susch , Switzerland, unveils a research program exploring various strands of 20th-century women’s photography, including avant-garde, documentary, feminist and socially engaged work. This is to emphasise the importance of female photographers from different countries, offering an in-depth reflection on their contributions.
The exhibition leading this new initiative is called Where No One Looked Before and it brings together pieces from two Czech artists: Běla Kolářová (1923-2010) and Emila Medková (1928-1985). The latter photographer made her start in the 1940s and is associated with Czechoslovak Surrealism. Daydreamy images show familiar objects distorted to the point that their meanings and functions are completely changed. Characters in each scene play a variety of roles, but the starring spot is often taken by a shadowy female figure. In Cascade of Hair (1949), she appears as an ominous presence cast onto the white wall. To her left is a small shelf holding an egg in a cup – the eye inside the shell stares at us – and a tap pouring a strand of hair. These feel like clues to a story that can only be told through fragments and symbols.
Kolářová’s work, on the other hand, is often identified with Constructivism. The artist used one of the favourite strategies of the pre-war photographic avant-garde. This involved making use of everyday objects and juxtaposing them on light-sensitive material. In 1961, she developed her own technique of ‘artificial negatives’, where she pasted small objects onto celluloid tape with paraffin before placing them on photosensitive paper and exposing everything to light. Later, Kolářova created assemblages using materials associated with the feminine sphere, such as Hair (1964), Lipstick Sampler (1965) and Sharp Circles (1967). Both Kolářová and Medková use the camera to illuminate unseen perspectives.
Muzeum Susch challenges the male-dominated view of photographic history, arguing that this viewpoint was fundamentally flawed from the beginning. When seen through the lens of ground-breaking female artists, the medium reveals a richer and more fascinating narrative. By focusing on pioneers like Kolářová and Medková, Muzeum Susch uncovers previously hidden lineages of photographic experimentation. This research project promises to transform our understanding of the medium and the past that has shaped it.
Muzeum Susch, Běla Kolářová & Emila Medková: Where No One Looked Before | Until 3 September
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Emila Medková, Cascade de cheveux Hair Cascade, (1949), gelatin silver print 38 x 29 cm. Private Collection.
- Bĕla Kolářová, Z cyklu Rentgenogramy kruhu (Kresba světlem). From the series Radiograms of Circles (Drawing with Light), (1963), gelatin silver print 28,4 x 23,9 cm. Private Collection.
- Bĕla Kolářová, Z cyklu Rentgenogramy kruhu. From the series Radiograms of Circles, (1963) gelatin silver print 27,3 x 23,3 cm. Private Collection.
- Bĕla Kolářová, Součástky času Particles of Time, (1968-1972), gelatin silver print 30 x 23,6 cm. Private Collection.
- Bĕla Kolářová, Součástky času Particles of Time, (1968-1972). gelatin silver print 30,1 x 23,6 cm. Private Collection.
