Revising History

Revising History by Jennifer Greenburg: Artist Statement

Revising History is a body of work made by replacing the entire central figure in found-vernacular photographs, with an image of myself. I do this in order to call attention to the power photography has in creating cultural mythologies and in contributing to historical revisionism. A photograph allows us to remember selectively because it liberates a moment from context, erases vantage, and is inevitably susceptible to a co-opted or underwritten fantasy.

Using an elaborate, multi-disciplinary, and performative process, I transform into the subject of the photograph. I replace the original woman in the image with an image of my entire body. The work relies on stagecraft, costuming, and physical improvisation, rather than on digital manipulation. I select period-correct vintage attire from my fashion archive for each image, and I transmogrify my visual appearance using hair and makeup techniques that I learned from vintage beauty manuals. I become a characterization of the person who was present the moment the image was captured. My end result appears as a record of time and place yet crafts its own reality, myth, and falsehood, not unlike a traditionally made photograph. I look for underlining narratives, that quietly hide behind outward glamour. Images that depict anachronistic views of gender allow me to draw an analogy with contemporary problems still faced by women.

The captivating aesthetic present in post-war American photography encourages us to believe that it was a time of civility when it was actually a time of discrimination and gender inequality. A woman’s future, both personally and professionally, was usually determined by her beauty and her presentation, rather than her skills or qualifications. Yet, the visuals of the post-war era act as a mask–covering up and glossing over a past that is more convenient to forget using aesthetic appeal. I utilize those visuals to draw my audience into a conversation about the narrative we have scripted regarding the American past.

By presenting portraits that are transmuted from their original intention, I foster a conversation about how historical depictions of women are used to help us idealize our past. I intend the series to engage the audience in a conversation about the way we interpret the media, record personal memories, and establish a collective history.

© Jennifer Greenburg - She made sure to tell me to keep smiling. 2018
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She made sure to tell me to keep smiling. 2018

© Jennifer Greenburg - Every photographer provided an opportunity. 2018
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Every photographer provided an opportunity. 2018

© Jennifer Greenburg - A girl as pretty as you doesn't need any words at all, 2018
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A girl as pretty as you doesn't need any words at all, 2018

© Jennifer Greenburg - The insurance agent told me to have my husband or my father call him. 2017
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The insurance agent told me to have my husband or my father call him. 2017

© Jennifer Greenburg - It was finally my day! 2015
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It was finally my day! 2015

© Jennifer Greenburg - They hired a few of us for the debut of egalitarian architecture in Chicago, 2017
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They hired a few of us for the debut of egalitarian architecture in Chicago, 2017

© Jennifer Greenburg - The director knocked twice, 2017
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The director knocked twice, 2017

© Jennifer Greenburg - I was a vendor of drink but not love, 2018
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I was a vendor of drink but not love, 2018

© Jennifer Greenburg - I met the man of my future modeling in the Car of Tomorrow, 2018
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I met the man of my future modeling in the Car of Tomorrow, 2018

© Jennifer Greenburg - I have never been good at handling unwarranted attention, 2015
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I have never been good at handling unwarranted attention, 2015

© Jennifer Greenburg - I was not the thinnest, nor the prettiest, but I was the winner! 2015
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I was not the thinnest, nor the prettiest, but I was the winner! 2015

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