Wetzel & Schuster, "Supermodels"

What is it like to be commanded to assume a certain pose? To often be a naked canvas for the photographer? What is it like to be observed? Does the perception of a familiar image change if the model is of the opposite gender and significantly older than the iconic inspiration? Are formal aesthetic criteria strong enough to withstand a change in context? The photographic duo, Wetzel and Schuster, explore iconic images of women in the history of photography. Photos that are well-known, such as the last portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Ben Stern, Lady Lisa Lyon captured by Robert Mapplethorpe, or the controversial photo by Juergen Teller featuring Kristen McMenamy posing with the word "Versace" written on her chest in lipstick. The authors analyze the relationship between the photographer and the model, stepping into the roles of previously admired female models. By reversing the roles of the male photographer and the female model, Wetzel and Schuster aim to raise awareness of the diverse, unconscious ways of acting and perceiving the image-making process. Iconic original photographs have shaped our collective aesthetic expectations of "a photograph with a woman" but what becomes visible when the roles are reversed? What feelings does it evoke in us as photographers when we are no longer behind the camera, but in front of it? What is it like to be observed?