Anita Corbin has based her photography career on women. In 1980, she began a portrait series called Visible Girls, where she photographed double portraits of young women involved in various UK subcultures – rockabillies, mods, rude girls, skinheads, punks, rastas, and women’s lib activists. The portraits capture a very special era and are so important today because they remind us that women have always been at the root of cultural movements, despite the fact that their presence is often erased by time and history. The world we live in celebrates men’s achievements and innovations, but ignores or trivializes the involvement of women, in the underground as well as in the mainstream. Even now, I meet people who seem surprised that I’m a co-owner/editor of CVLT Nation, and that it’s not just Sean’s thing; it’s crossed my mind many times that when people remember this publication in the future, they might remember it as Sean’s – with a little help from his wife. What I’m trying to say is I feel a kinship with the women in these portraits, and they laid a foundation for what I am able to do today.
Corbin’s project First Women is a 100-portrait series of women who were recognized as first in their achievements, and Visible Girls has been re-examined as a part of that. Check out these awesome portraits below, and if you recognize anyone please email Corbin here.
Images via Dangerous Minds
