PHOTOGRAPHER WHITNEY HUBBS TO LECTURE AT CLARK ART INSTITUTE

January 15, 2019

Williamstown, Massachusetts—Photographer Whitney Hubbs presents a free lecture and conversation on gender, the history of photography, and the landscape of the body and spectatorship at the Clark Art Institute on Thursday, January 31 at 2 pm. The lecture is part of Claiming Williams Day, an annual Williams College program that focuses on building and sustaining a more inclusive community. Williams students are free with valid ID; no reservations are required. The general public is also welcome to attend, but reservations are required as space is very limited. To reserve, visit clarkart.edu/events or call the box office at 413 458 0524.

Hubbs focuses her work on how the photographic canon leaves women out and privileges the male gaze. She grew up on the West Coast enjoying the works of Edward Weston and Man Ray, both examples of male artists who unapologetically explore the female form. “I wanted to pose for these photographers,” Hubbs said. “I’ve fantasized about it, performing for them, and so I photographed myself, and that didn’t satisfy me. I wanted to be the observer, the controller, the framer, the looker, the photographer.” Hubbs’s work with the female form redefines a medium and makes the viewer question who controls the image of the woman. How does the male form play out in photographs of women? How can pictures visualize a conceptual idea of the known presence calling of a past?

Hubbs received her BFA from the California College of Arts in 2005 and an MFA at UCLA in 2009. Currently, she is an assistant professor of photography at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. She has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including shows at The Getty Museum, Ballroom Marfa, Orange County Museum of Art, Headlands Center for the Arts, and the California Museum of Photography. She is represented by M+B Gallery in Los Angeles and Situations Gallery in New York.

Hubbs is presented by Ephs at the Clark, a student organization that aims to connect students to the Clark Art Institute through student-led programs and opportunities that offer enriching experiences in the visual arts. Her visit is underwritten by the Clark and Claiming Williams Day.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of more than 275,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; open daily in July and August. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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