For International Women’s day I’ve dug out a photo from a book I bought in the late nineties. This photo by Carl de Keyzer was one of many images that struck me and has stayed buried in my psyche ever since.
For me, this photo brings home some hard truths. It does more than describe just one seedy looking scene in a closed room. It describes an attitude that is still, sadly, often seen and experienced today.
What I find powerful about this image is that it’s bold but subtle at the same time, there is no explicit exploitation seen here, but the suggestion of it is undeniable.
Using a slightly lower camera angle means the all-powerful, all male and rather smug looking panel of judges appear slightly above us as the viewer and puts us in the position of the interviewee. The objectification of the interviewee is complete by composing and lighting the picture around the familiar yet slightly unnatural looking crossed legs.
I don’t think this picture is about this specific interview at all. I think this photograph goes beyond this claustrophobic, male dominated room. It’s about a feeling that too many women experience in everyday places and everyday situations.