(Cover photo: Can’t Pin Me Down by Nandin Dandar)
Girlgaze is another example of how social media movements are growing into bigger things. Initially starting out on Instagram, Girlgaze has transformed into a project including an exhibition called #girlgaze: a frame of mind, a publication called #girlgaze zine, grants raised through The Girlgaze Foundation, as well as become a platform that empowers girls behind the camera in a world that brushes away creativity.
Jianne Soriano talks to Lauren Kruz about girlgaze and why it’s important to empower girls behind the camera.
1) What is girlgaze?
Girlgaze is a collection of images that are taken by female photographers. Our mission is support girls behind the camera and celebrate their creativity and passion on what they produce, will produce and want to produce.
2) How did girlgaze start? And what is the aim/vision behind it?
Girlgaze began as a social media movement with over 350,000 submissions and has grown into the first multimedia platform committed to supporting girls behind the camera.
Girlsgaze aims to celebrate and encourage intelligence, creativity and the diversity of girls’ experiences, outlooks and interest especially in a world that’s overly dipped in ideal images of what it means to be beautiful and famous that’s reflected in the media.
3) Who are the people behind girlgaze? And why do they matter?
Girlgaze is founded by Amanda de Cadenet and supported by some media, fashion and photography powerhouse—including Amber Valletta, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Lynsey Addario, Collier Schorr and Inez van Lamsveerde. Through this, Girlgaze has started a new conversation about what it means to be female through the eyes of young creatives.
4) How to join girlgaze? And what are the benefits?
The best way to join the Girlgaze Community is to stay connected through our Instagram, our newsletter, and by coming to our events! That way you’ll be in the know of contest, calls for content submission, events and you’ll be able to meet to other female-identified artists.
5) Any interesting stories to share? What are some submissions/features that stood out?
This is tough to answer—we’ve received so much incredible work and many of our artists have such inspiring stories.
We have so many that we love. Off the top, we love Robin de Puy, a Dutch photographer who set out to create a new body of personal work on the open roads of America. Traveling alone on a Harley Davidson, de Puy clocked over 10,000 kilometres; going through countless towns and cities in the American Midwest, she put everyday people, unaccustomed to the spotlight, in front of her camera.
Melissa Spitz who has done an incredible documentary photography series on the relationship between her and her mentally-ill and substance abusing mother. By turning the camera toward her monther she captures her behavior as an echo of her own emotional response. It’s such a strong and honest work.
6) Any future plans and hopes?
We’ve got a biannual zine coming out soon, a video series, we’re building an app where people can discover job opportunities and find inspiration and like minded artists.
7) What makes girlgaze different and special?
We’re taking back the word girl, we are pushing back against the cultural projections and traditional gender roles imposed upon girls from the outside world, media and culture. Instead, we aim to represent the intelligence, creativity, complexity and diversity of girls’ experience—across nation, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, economic background.
It is up to those who identify with being a girl to break the boundaries and determine their own identity, sexuality, and beauty. We are inclusive to all female-identifying artists and want to include all of these voices and perspectives.
For more visit: http://www.girlgaze.tv/
