All anyone is talking about right now is the July cover of Vanity Fair. Famed photographer, Annie Leibovitz, shot the 22-page spread on Caitlyn Jenner, being one of the most controversial spreads Vanity Fair has ever released.
After 142 covers for Rolling Stone, including the last well-known photograph taken of John Lennon and Yoko Ono before his assassination, Leibovitz has become a household name and one of the most respected portraiture artists of our time. Her notoriety is largely based on her ability to create images that are simultaneously beautiful, playful, and frequently, controversial.
In a 1984 Vanity Fair photo shoot with Whoopi Goldberg, Leibovitz shot Goldberg face-up in an ivory bathtub full of milk, her dark skin in stark contrast. The racial overtone here is obvious within the first glance. In 2001, she photographed Def Jam Records founder, musical icon, and beard aficionado, Rick Rubin, draped in a white Jesus-like shawl. And perhaps most notably, we all remember that Demi Moore naked pregnancy VF cover (now common place, but at the time, we had never been exposed to a sexualized pregnant female figure).
Leibovitz has earned herself the reputation of an influential artist and cultural figure with her willingness to responsibly use her artistic voice to bring forth dialogue about current controversial issues. The potential for the LGBT and gender movement is huge in this Vanity Fair shoot, however Leibovitz went with a disappointingly familiar and patriarchal approach to portraying a woman in the media.
The scantily clad 65 year old woman photographed on the cover says nothing about Caitlyn Jenner as a person, it only proves her new physical worth. Of course Jenner looks fantastic, and it is remarkable that she is finally able to be truthful to herself and the world, however, a distinguished and visionary photographer like Leibovitz could have taken a much more progressive approach.
With such a forward thinking track record, we’re left wondering if Leibovitz fell a bit short this time?
