Woman Wearing Ring Shields Face from Flash

Odette England collects found photographs showing men taking pictures of women without
permission, women rejecting the camera by placing their hands over their faces, men posing
with guns, and hands. For England, these images suggest a complex relationship between guns,
cameras, and violence against women. As Teju Cole has written, “When we speak of ‘shooting’
with a camera, we are acknowledging the kinship of photography and violence.” There is a
shared vocabulary between guns and cameras that load, aim, and shoot. In making these
connections, England hopes to emphasize the problematic visual habits embedded in our culture
and to work towards an alternative way of using the camera to share our voices rather than
normalize violence.

Woman Wearing Ring Shields Face from Flash is published by Skinnerboox, Italy, and is available from November 1, 2023, online at skinnerboox.com or odetteengland.com. A solo exhibition to coincide with the book’s launch opens at the Contemporary Art Galleries, University of Connecticut, on November 29, 2023.