Caroline Bingham

Jessie's Gaze - Inkjet prints - Not for Sale

Aislinn Smoking - Inkjet prints - Not for Sale

Jessie at Window - Inkjet prints - Not for Sale

Belly Button Ring - Inkjet prints - Not for Sale

Jessie's House - Inkjet prints - Not for Sale

Jordyn in Bathroom - Inkjet prints - Not for Sale

Artist's Statement

All the women in these photographs can’t use an ATM at night while alone; these women suffer through the fear of human trafficking. They are or may go through the judgment of how they choose to have their baby or how they choose to nourish them. Women are expected to be able to give birth. They are expected to want children. Women have relationships with their body that are over analyzed. They have expectations to groom and dress a certain way. They have all been called an unwanted, belittling name. They all have expectations to be emotional. As women, they are buried in gendered challenges and expectations. Nowadays, these expectations are being recognized, but still not dealt with.

Photography is a medium that assists people in recognizing social and political issues. Photography is the most comforting medium to me, as it shows a clear reality of the world we live in.  I want to combine comfortable subjects with the most comfortable medium to create work that is authentic to my experiences. Art creates understanding, which leads empathy, then evokes change.

With the pressures of expectations weighing down, I have become a more empathetic person. That is why I photograph women my own age. They all experience the same pressures and expectations that I face as a woman. The expectation that impacts every one of us is alleviated through the comfort knowing we are not alone. Someone who understands. In photographic history, men are the ones who take photographs of women. Being a woman, I can depict women in a more honest way without the male gaze. I want to evoke change from the female perspective with my photography.

If you wish to purchase any of these pieces, please contact the gallery director, Jacqueline Nathan (jnathan@bgsu.edu.)