Putting a camera inside your vagina to take photographs of people might sound like the most complicated thing in the world, but it kind of makes sense when you read why Dani Lessnau came up with this inventive and intimate method of photography.
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Taking a page out of Ann Hamilton’s project Face to Face, in which the artist takes pictures of subjects by placing a camera inside her mouth, Dani Lessnau’s series of photographs titled Extimité tries to embody the female gaze, questioning and exploring what that term even means.
In an interview with Dazed magazine, she reveals that by inserting a pin hole camera inside her vagina, she becomes one with the camera, creating her own version of the female gaze without feeling like she’s imitating other photographers and power dynamics.
By following this method, she becomes vulnerable herself while still retaining her power, getting rid of the hierarchy that exists between the subject and the photographer.
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Lessnau explains that she uses a pinhole camera because they can be made at home and they contain no lenses, allowing her to embody the role of the camera. She also explains why she chose to use film, claiming that it’s a physical object and that it represents an impression, which she links to relationships and the way in which people leave a mark on each other.
You can read the full interview here, and check out her photographs on her website.
