We run literally thousands of posts on Mamamia over a 12 month period and we’ve collated the most popular 20 of 2014 to count down as we bring in the new year.Number twelve is bringing real women’s bodies back into the media… and we love it.
Here at Mamamia, we talk a lot about the representation of women in the media. Specifically, about how the photoshopped and manipulated images of women’s bodies that we see in magazines and on TV are usually nothing like what we see when we look in the mirror…
More and more, women are pushing back against this idea of ‘ideal’ beauty. They’re sharing un-retouched photos of their post-baby bellies, posing in bikinis, and showing the world their scars look like.
And this next series is another amazing example of the power and beauty of ‘real’ women.
When we first saw the Expose Project we were blown away.
It’s a collection of images that were taken of 100 women who gathered together to show the sheer diversity of their shapes, skin, scars and soft and wobbly bits.
The creators of the project – Liora K and Jes Baker – have very generously shared the photo series with us, and we’re incredibly honoured to show it to you today.
If these photos make you feel a bit more normal, you’re not alone.
This awe-inspiring photography project titled Expose was organised by Liora K (a photographer) and Jes Baker (blogger at The Militant Baker) to ‘shed light on collective beauty’.
On the Militant Baker blog, Jes writes:
A week ago, an amazing thing happened. 96 (plus Liora and I…yes, nearly 100) women of all shapes, sizes, shades, and ages, gathered together in a beautiful room in Tucson Az and undressed their glorious bodies.
Nearly all had something to personally gain from the experience; it was a test of self-trust. They bared all to defy a lifetime of being told that their bodies were less than camera ready. And defy they did. Every time the shutter clicked, triumph was theirs. God, it was moving.
But they also bared all for you. They undressed because they wanted to share their curves and angles, smiles and frowns, firmness and softness, strength and fear… with you. With the world. With everyone who wonders if they are alone in their physical form.
We all know that what we see in the media isn’t the whole story. It’s not representative of all of us. And because of what we see (or rather DON’T see) we start to believe that we are the only one with our particular stretch marks. Our uneven boobs. Our scarred legs. Our asymmetrical nipples. Our belly shape. Our body hair. Our what-ever-it-is-that-you-don’t-see-on-display-any-where-else… Rarely do we see our beautiful and complex combination of body parts that makes us magnificent.
The 98 bodies featured in the project are to remind every woman that their body is normal, that they are not alone in their occasional body insecurity and – perhaps more than anything – that they are more than their body. We are all more than the skin we are in.
You can visit Liora K’s website here, and see the entire Expose project here.
Top Comments
Every single one of those woman are very beautiful, & graceful
I don't like the way everyone blames photoshop for negative self-image… there are a lot of slim people in the world. Photoshop does not make a 300lb woman into a 96lb woman. It simply modifies the slim girl to look perfect. This is NOT in an effort to make bigger women feel insecure, it is simply to sell their product by appealing to the human eye and brain. Then again, I'm only 14 so what would I know :)
But that is the problem.. It's not about being a bigger person or not. It's making people believe these girls (big or small) look 'perfect' when no one is. They are using photoshop to cover scars, stretch marks, freckles and plenty of other things when in reality every single person has small flaws like this and that is what makes us beautiful.
You'll understand when you grow up and you're still thin but you have some lumps, bumps, stretchmarks and cellulite from growing into a woman and child bearing.