A Conversation with Photographer Whitney Hubbs

As part of Claiming Williams Day, photographer Whitney Hubbs presents a free lecture and conversation segment on gender, the history of photography, and the landscape of the body and spectatorship. Claiming Williams Day is a campus-wide program at Williams College that focuses on building and sustaining a more inclusive community. Each year, campus organizations host panels, discussions, and events with the aim of making the college community more inclusive. Williams students are free with valid ID; no reservations required. The general public is also welcome to attend, but reservations are required. Limited space available; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hubbs is focused on investigating how the photographic canon leaves women out and privileges the male gaze. She grew up on the West Coast enjoying the works of Weston and Man Ray, just to name a few of the male artists who unapologetically explore the female form. As Hubbs says in her own words: “I wanted to pose for these photographers. I’ve fantasized about it, performing for them, and so I photographed myself, and that didn’t satisfy me. I wanted to be the observer, the controller, the framer, the looker, the photographer.” Hubbs’s work with the female form redefines a medium and makes the viewer question who controls the image of the woman. How does the male form play out in photographs of women? How can pictures visualize a conceptual idea of the known presence calling of a past?

Hubbs was born in Southern California and lived briefly in Portland, Oregon. After being involved with the punk rock riot grrrl community and working as an activist, Hubbs received her BFA from the California College of Arts in 2005 and an MFA at UCLA in 2009. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Photography at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. Hubbs has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including but not limited to shows at The Getty Museum, Ballroom Marfa, Orange County Museum of Art, Headlands Center for the Arts, and the California Museum of Photography. She is represented by M+B Gallery in Los Angeles and Situations Gallery in New York City.

Hubbs is presented by Ephs at the Clark, a student organization that aims to connect students to the Clark Art Institute through student-led programs and opportunities that offer enriching experiences in the visual arts. Her visit is underwritten by the Clark and Claiming Williams Day.

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