Garry Gross The Woman In The Child
Garry Gross was an American fashion photographer who became famous and infamous for his controversial series of photographs titled The Woman In The Child. These photographs featured a 10-year-old Brooke Shields posing nude in a bathtub, wearing makeup, and covered in oil. The photographs sparked a legal and moral debate about the boundaries of art, pornography, and child exploitation.
Who was Garry Gross?
Garry Gross was born in 1937 in New York City. He studied photography at the Pratt Institute and the New School for Social Research. He started his career as a commercial photographer, working for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire. He also photographed celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, Salvador Dali, and Gloria Vanderbilt.
Gross was interested in exploring the themes of sexuality, beauty, and aging in his work. He often used models who were not conventionally attractive or who had physical flaws or disabilities. He also experimented with different techniques such as collage, solarization, and infrared photography.
How did he create The Woman In The Child?
In 1975, Gross was commissioned by Playboy Press to produce a book titled Sugar and Spice, which was supposed to feature erotic photographs of young girls. Gross decided to use Brooke Shields, who was then an unknown child model, as his main subject. He obtained the permission of her mother, Teri Shields, who signed a contract giving Gross the rights to the photographs.
Gross took several photographs of Brooke Shields in his studio and in his apartment. He asked her to pose nude in a bathtub, wearing makeup, and covered in oil. He also asked her to wear high heels, jewelry, and fur coats. He wanted to create a contrast between her innocence and maturity, and to challenge the viewers’ perception of childhood and sexuality.
What was the reaction to The Woman In The Child?
The photographs were published in Sugar and Spice in 1976. They caused a sensation and a scandal. Some people praised them as artistic and provocative, while others condemned them as pornographic and exploitative. The photographs also attracted the attention of filmmaker Louis Malle, who cast Brooke Shields in his controversial movie Pretty Baby (1978), which depicted the life of a child prostitute in New Orleans.
In 1981, Brooke Shields, who was then 16 years old and a rising star, tried to stop the circulation of the photographs by suing Gross for $25 million. She claimed that she did not consent to the photographs and that they damaged her reputation and career. She also argued that she had the right to revoke the contract that her mother signed on her behalf.
The case went to trial in 1983. The court ruled in favor of Gross, stating that Brooke Shields was bound by the contract that her mother signed and that she had no right to terminate it. The court also stated that the photographs were not sexually suggestive, provocative or pornographic, nor did they imply sexual promiscuity. They were pictures of a prepubescent girl posing innocently in her bath.
What was the legacy of The Woman In The Child?
The Woman In The Child became one of the most iconic and infamous series of photographs in the history of photography. They influenced many artists and photographers who explored similar themes of childhood and sexuality, such as Sally Mann, Jock Sturges, David Hamilton, and Nan Goldin.
The photographs also raised important questions about the ethics and legality of photographing children in nude or erotic situations. They sparked debates about the rights of children, parents, photographers, and publishers. They also challenged the notions of art, pornography, censorship, and freedom of expression.
How did The Woman In The Child influence contemporary art and culture?
The Woman In The Child had a significant impact on contemporary art and culture. The photographs inspired many artists and photographers to use children as subjects or models in their works, often in nude or erotic situations. Some examples are:
- Spiritual America by Richard Prince: In 1983, Prince appropriated one of Gross’s photographs of Brooke Shields and rephotographed it as his own work. He titled it Spiritual America, a reference to a photograph by Alfred Stieglitz of a horse’s genitals. Prince’s work was intended to critique the commodification and sexualization of children in American culture.
- Immediate Family by Sally Mann: In 1992, Mann published a book of photographs of her three children, who often posed nude or in suggestive poses. Mann claimed that her photographs were an honest and intimate portrayal of her family life, but some critics accused her of exploiting and endangering her children.
- The Holy Virgin Mary by Chris Ofili: In 1996, Ofili created a painting of the Virgin Mary that incorporated elephant dung and cutouts of female genitalia from pornographic magazines. Ofili said that his painting was a tribute to his African heritage and his Catholic faith, but some viewers found it offensive and blasphemous.
What are the ethical and legal issues surrounding The Woman In The Child?
The Woman In The Child raised many ethical and legal issues surrounding the photography of children in nude or erotic situations. Some of the questions that emerged were:
- Who has the right to consent to the photographs? The child, the parent, or the photographer?
- Who owns the rights to the photographs? The child, the parent, the photographer, or the publisher?
- Who has the right to access, view, or distribute the photographs? The child, the parent, the photographer, the publisher, or the public?
- What is the purpose and intention of the photographs? Are they artistic, educational, journalistic, or pornographic?
- What is the effect and impact of the photographs? Do they harm or benefit the child, the parent, the photographer, or the society?
How did The Woman In The Child affect Brooke Shields’s life and career?
The Woman In The Child had a profound effect on Brooke Shields’s life and career. The photographs made her famous and infamous at the same time. They also exposed her to the dark side of fame and the media.
On one hand, the photographs launched her film career and made her a star. She was cast in controversial roles that exploited her sexuality and innocence, such as a child prostitute in Pretty Baby (1978), a teenage temptress in The Blue Lagoon (1980), and a young lover in Endless Love (1981). She also became a fashion icon and a spokesperson for brands such as Calvin Klein and Revlon.
On the other hand, the photographs caused her emotional distress and legal troubles. She felt violated and ashamed by the photographs and tried to suppress them. She also faced criticism and harassment from the public and the press, who questioned her morality and maturity. She struggled with depression, eating disorders, and drug abuse. She also had a difficult relationship with her mother, who was her manager and who exploited her fame and fortune.
Later in her life, Brooke Shields tried to distance herself from the photographs and reinvent herself as an actress, model, author, and activist. She starred in more diverse and respectable roles, such as a journalist in Suddenly Susan (1996-2000), a mother in Lipstick Jungle (2008-2009), and a lawyer in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2017-2018). She also wrote several books, such as Down Came the Rain (2005), which chronicled her experience with postpartum depression, and There Was a Little Girl (2014), which detailed her relationship with her mother. She also became an advocate for mental health, women’s rights, and animal welfare.
Where can you see The Woman In The Child today?
The Woman In The Child is a rare and controversial series of photographs that is not widely available or exhibited today. The original photographs are owned by Garry Gross’s estate and are not for sale. The photographs are also protected by copyright laws and cannot be reproduced or distributed without permission.
However, there are some ways that you can see The Woman In The Child today. Some of them are:
- Spiritual America IV by Richard Prince: In 2005, Prince created a new version of his appropriation of Gross’s photograph of Brooke Shields. He enlarged the photograph and placed it behind a black frame with a golden plaque that reads “Spiritual America IV”. He also added a disclaimer that states “This work is not about Brooke Shields. It is about the photograph taken by Garry Gross in 1975”. The work was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2007 and at the Tate Modern in London in 2009.
- The Woman In The Child by Gary Gross: In 2010, Gross published a book of photographs titled The Woman In The Child, which included the original photographs of Brooke Shields as well as other photographs of young girls that he took for Sugar and Spice. The book also contained an introduction by Gross and an essay by art critic A.D. Coleman. The book was limited to 250 copies and was sold online.
- The Internet: You can find some images of The Woman In The Child on the internet, but you should be careful and cautious. Some websites may contain viruses, malware, or ransomware that can harm your device or steal your personal information. Some websites may also be illegal, unsafe, or unethical. You should respect the rights and privacy of the child, the parent, the photographer, and the publisher.
How to appreciate The Woman In The Child as a work of art?
The Woman In The Child is a work of art that challenges and provokes the viewer. It is not a work of art that is easy or comfortable to look at or to understand. It is a work of art that requires a critical and open-minded approach.
Some of the ways that you can appreciate The Woman In The Child as a work of art are:
- Consider the context and intention of the work: The photographs were taken in 1975, a time when the sexual revolution, feminism, and child liberation movements were influencing the society and culture. Gross wanted to explore the themes of sexuality, beauty, and aging in his work. He also wanted to create a contrast between innocence and maturity, and to challenge the viewers’ perception of childhood and sexuality.
- Consider the technique and style of the work: The photographs are in black and white, which creates a contrast between light and shadow, and emphasizes the shapes and forms of the subject. The photographs are also in high resolution, which reveals the details and textures of the subject. The photographs are also composed in a simple and direct way, which focuses the attention on the subject.
- Consider the meaning and impact of the work: The photographs have multiple and ambiguous meanings that depend on the interpretation of the viewer. The photographs can be seen as artistic and provocative, or as pornographic and exploitative. The photographs can also be seen as empowering and liberating, or as oppressive and abusive. The photographs have also had a significant impact on the history of photography, art, law, and society.
Conclusion
The Woman In The Child is a series of photographs by Garry Gross that features a 10-year-old Brooke Shields posing nude in a bathtub, wearing makeup, and covered in oil. The photographs are controversial and influential works of art that explore the themes of sexuality, beauty, and aging. The photographs also raise ethical and legal issues about the photography of children in nude or erotic situations. The photographs have affected the lives and careers of both Gross and Shields, as well as many other artists and photographers who were inspired or challenged by them. The photographs are rare and difficult to access today, but they can still be appreciated as works of art that challenge and provoke the viewer.
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