Laurie Toby Edison
Encyclopedia
Laurie Toby Edison is an internationally exhibited portrait photographer. Her three suites of photographs include a series of nudes of fat women, a series of nudes of a very diverse cross-section of men, and a series of clothed portraits of women living in Japan. Edison's work is black-and-white fine art, with an underlying social change message, which she often phrases as "making the invisible visible."
, a black-and-white fine art photography book. Familiar Men: A Book of Nudes, also fine art in black-and-white, was published in the fall of 2003. She has recently finished Women of Japan, a suite of clothed portraits of women in Japan, who are from many cultures and backgrounds.
A retrospective of one hundred of her photographs “Meditations on the Body: Recent Work” was exhibited at the National Museum of Art in Osaka
in 2001. Her photographs have also been exhibited around the world, including New York City
, Tokyo
, Kyoto
, Toronto
, Boston
, London
, and San Francisco. An exhibition of the complete Women of Japan project was shown at the Pacifico Convention Center in Yokohama
in the fall of 2007.
A documentary about her work by John Wells is available on YouTube (see link below).
Among the dozens of articles about her work are a feature in NY Arts/Berliner Kunst by Lori Don Levan (May- June 2004); "Beautiful Men” (an article in English and Spanish by Laurie Toby Edison and Debbie Notkin, with 14 photographs from Familiar Men, in Corpus, Vol 3 No 1, 2005; and an essay on Women of Japan with accompanying photographs, in Kyoto Journal: Perspectives From Asia (Spring 2006).
said in a review in Afterimage, in 1994 that Edison’s work "is unique in focusing on the nude without eroticizing it." Edison says “Bodies are sensual, and that’s part of my work, but I am engaged with the whole person in his or her space.” (interview with the photographer, 2007).
Publications and Exhibitions
In 1994 she published Women En Large: Images of Fat NudesWomen En Large: Images of Fat Nudes
Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes by Laurie Toby Edison, with text by Debbie Notkin, was published in 1994 by Books in Focus. The book is the first fine-art photography book of nudes of fat women. It contains 41 black-and-white photographs and two essays by Notkin, plus an artist's statement by...
, a black-and-white fine art photography book. Familiar Men: A Book of Nudes, also fine art in black-and-white, was published in the fall of 2003. She has recently finished Women of Japan, a suite of clothed portraits of women in Japan, who are from many cultures and backgrounds.
A retrospective of one hundred of her photographs “Meditations on the Body: Recent Work” was exhibited at the National Museum of Art in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
in 2001. Her photographs have also been exhibited around the world, including New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and San Francisco. An exhibition of the complete Women of Japan project was shown at the Pacifico Convention Center in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
in the fall of 2007.
A documentary about her work by John Wells is available on YouTube (see link below).
Among the dozens of articles about her work are a feature in NY Arts/Berliner Kunst by Lori Don Levan (May- June 2004); "Beautiful Men” (an article in English and Spanish by Laurie Toby Edison and Debbie Notkin, with 14 photographs from Familiar Men, in Corpus, Vol 3 No 1, 2005; and an essay on Women of Japan with accompanying photographs, in Kyoto Journal: Perspectives From Asia (Spring 2006).
About her work
Photographer and commentator Tee CorinneTee Corinne
Tee Corine was a lesbian visual artist notable for the portrayal of sexuality in her artwork.-Early life and education:Corinne was born and grew up in Florida. Her mother introduced her to principles and techniques for making visual art...
said in a review in Afterimage, in 1994 that Edison’s work "is unique in focusing on the nude without eroticizing it." Edison says “Bodies are sensual, and that’s part of my work, but I am engaged with the whole person in his or her space.” (interview with the photographer, 2007).
Edison's views on her work
Edison says:Just as Women En Large is my statement on the female nude, at least at this time, Familiar Men is my statement on the male nude. The five years I spent photographing men and talking with them have transformed my vision of masculinity in this time and place, as well as how I perceive the body in my work.
I first saw all my nude photographs, men and women together, in Kyoto in November of 2001. I realized that they are a single body of work imbuing the individual nudes with dignity and presence. Women of Japan, my first group of clothed portraits, had me grappling with all the issues from the previous two suites, from the position of a foreigner, and included the additional complex issues of Japanese identity.