Long live the portrait - Jennifer Bisbing's women of Wicker Park

Elaine, Wicker Park historian and author

 The portrait is a long standing tradition of image making that communicates the human condition like no other art form.  While other art movements have taken center stage and dominated cultural attention, the portrait has consistently been present and powerful. 

Women photographing women is another tradition being continued by contemporary artists today.  One particular project worth noting is the Wicker Women portrait series being produced by Jennifer Bisbing.  Not only is Bisbing capturing the character of each woman she photographs, there is also a connection to the community to support women in need. 

This work comes from a rich tradition of women photographers that can be seen in The Art Institute of Chicago's collection.  Some examples that seem to have particular connections with Bisbing's project are:

Nan Golden Self-Portrait, 1978-94/5 takes on the subject of domestic violence and abuse in a direct and confrontational way and was, like all of her work, a way to survive.  Golden uses self portraits and also photographs others to expose and confront a lot of what the world would rather ignore.

Julia Margaret Cameron began photography on a whim when she received a camera as a gift.  One of her favorite subjects was her niece Julia Jackson, mother of Virginia Woolf.  Cameron's portraits were ground breaking for their time taking on fantasy and creative manipulation of the images and leaving a lasting impression.

Diane Arbus captured moments of great impact through seemingly ordinary subjects, often portraiture. 

Jennifer Bisbing is a Chicago photographer working in Wicker Park and connecting to the community through her art and the tradition of photographic portraiture.  Follow the project to see how the women of Wicker Park tell their stories through their portraits.  Join the effort by having your portrait taken - the project continues through the end of 2009.  Women who are connected to the Wicker Park community by living and/or working in the Chicago neighborhood can support other women in need and help to shape the story, Wicker Women by Jennifer Bisbing.

For about the cost of a fancy coffee drink, women who live or work in Wicker Park can have their portrait taken and help support other women who have experienced abuse. Through a new photo project called “Wicker Women,” Wicker Park-based photographer Jennifer Bisbing is offering $5 portrait for Wicker Park women, and donating the entire sitting fee to Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC), a local domestic violence program that includes Greenhouse Shelter, Humboldt Park Outreach Program, and Hospital Crisis Intervention Project at Stroger Hospital.

 
“During this recession, I wanted to offer women an affordable opportunity to express themselves through classic portraiture, and be a part of a project that celebrates the uniqueness of the women that live and work in Wicker Park,” said Bisbing. “Given the nature of the project, donating to CAWC just made perfect sense.”

The sitting fee of $5 – or an amount of each woman’s choice – will be collected and donated to CAWC, which has been serving Wicker Park women for years.

“I am so pleased that I can do something for the women in Wicker Park,” said Bisbing. “Many years ago, I worked for the women’s hotline at the San Francisco District Attorney’s office helping with domestic violence cases. It is nice to be giving back again.”

The “Wicker Women” portrait project celebrates the faces of the women who work and/or live in the Wicker Park neighborhood. The public can follow the progress of the project at www.wickerwomen.blogspot.com, where Bisbing will post a new portrait every week. In October, the portraits will be exhibited at Wicker Park’s Chrome Gallery during Chicago Artists Month, and in November they will be on display inside the Wicker Park branch of National City Bank on Damen Avenue.

The five-dollar portrait offer will run through the end of 2009. “My claissic sepia portraits are not about glossy retouched glamour, these are the real radiant women of Wicker Park.”

Art Institute of Chicago - photography selections: left to right: Nan Golden Self-Portrait, 1978-94/5; Julia Margaret Cameron Julia Jackson, 1867; Diane Arbus Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967.