I am absolutely thrilled to have Anne-Marie on board in this Celebration of Women & Beauty Through Visual Imagery.
When I asked her to be a part of this project, I could really feel her apprehension and vulnerability. In experiencing her this way, I just knew she would be perfect. I was not wrong, our conversation was fantastic. I go into these conversations completely EMPTY. I have no agenda or expectation. I do have some set questions in mind, however, the guts of the conversation comes from my subject. Anne-Marie was open, honest, vulnerable and real in sharing herself with me. As a young women, her experience of physical beauty was a reflection of how men related to her. She found this to be a very negative experience, it almost took her self-esteem away. She told me that she wanted to leave how men viewed her and just become herself without their input. Let me tell you, she shared some photographs that were taking in her 40s and she looked STUNNING. You have probably heard the term “Trophy Girlfriend”. Well this was her occurring world and It became a huge burden as she experienced the limitations of her physical beauty through the eyes and behaviour of others. In her own words: ""Beauty had to be deeper than the way that men viewed me". When viewed in this context, I am not surprised by some of the revelations that came out in her self-expression. I was delighted by the realness of her life. I got present to the fact that as a physically attractive women, I could see why men would relate to her as a physical being. We entered a space where we got to see the dawning of a new possibility, a new realm of expression and possibility. As you can see from her photograph, she present a solid presence as a women, the eyes are strong and confident - the vulnerability is still there, I can feel it. Our conversation covered areas of physical and emotional intimacy, being liked and appreciated for who we really are. We questioned the reality of authentic beauty beyond the composition of our DNA. Truly stunning was the realisation, that here we are at a very mature age questioning “Who Am I”. Out of her own mouth, I heard Anne-Marie say, “I want people to look at my photograph and feel I have a lot more to contribute and share. Just consider; love, contribution, being of service to others are virtues rooted in the realm of beauty and spirit. Our bodies are ageing, who we were in our 40s is an old conversation. What we look like today is the reality of what we look like. Our spirit is everlasting and unchanging. Study Anne-Marie’s photograph. Allow yourself to feel what she is communicating. Thank you for reading. Michael Vincent
1 Comment
Chantal
2/6/2018 06:41:56 am
I quite agree with the fact that beauty in our early life is often linked to the reflection of men's eyes on our physical appearence and probably their desire or hunger. Beauty is external and that is a good thing because our experience of life is starting and it is one of the best things we can share. As time passes we aquire experience as well as bruises but the way we cope with all this and the choices of love, humility towards the ephemeral aspect of beauty, this inner garden which we have patiently grown with the strength of our heart can make us a beautiful person. That is what comes out of our eyes, smile, manner, expression. Under the fading appearance the inner beauty with its richness shines with glory: that is what comes out of this portrait. (Sorry for my English which is not my mother language and is not always "lotal" to what I feel)
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