#girlgaze

The female form has been molded and used for male pleasure throughout the centuries in art, but in the 21st century, women are taking back the spotlight.

The female form has been molded and used for male pleasure throughout the centuries in art, but in the 21st century, women are finally taking back the spotlight. “Girlgaze,” a multimedia platform that supports girls behind the camera, was founded by photographer and actress Amanda de Cadenet in February 2016. The project has received widespread press and partnerships with media houses including Teen Vogue, I-D and Paper Mag.

De Cadenet started the project as she became frustrated with how she was always portrayed as “sexy” in her role as a TV host, and wanted to create a way for women to have the ability to mold and influence their own images. According to de Cadenet, most creative photo projects that focus on women are actually executed by men. “Nine times out of 10, it is a fantasy of the female; it's their ideal female," de Cadenet says.

Girlgaze photos aim to capture unique points of view through girls around the world, and to “represent the intelligence, creativity, complexity and diversity of girls’ experience,” as the website states. Many of the organization’s images focus on topics such as body image, sexuality, mental illness and objectification. The project also includes an exhibition at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, a biannual art installation, and offers grants through the Girlgaze Foundation to fund emerging female photographers and filmmakers.

Story by: Angelina Wang Design by: Serina Nguyen & Elizabeth Rauner-Swan