MARIE CLAIRE KOREA INTERVIEWS ASHLEY ARMITAGE

Marie Claire Korea tapped Ashley Armitage for an interview for their 30th-anniversay issue. They wanted to "hear various voices of worldwide photographers regarding contemporary social issues" for their new column 'World Report.'

Check out the full interview below...


1. Please briefly introduce your photo series.
This photo is a part of a series I started when I was in university called The Girl’s Room. It’s a series showcasing women and LGBTQ people in intimate places like their bedrooms. This photo specifically is of Stasa Wade, we took it in December of 2022 in a home in Chicago, IL.

2. As a photographer, what subject or topic are you mostly interested in? Are there any subjects or topics that you continuously deal with or currently paying attention to?
I have always been drawn to the subject of girlhood and femininity, and what it means to be a girl in the 2000s. I love photographing people in private spaces, like in bedrooms or bathrooms, and recreating fantasies or memories of girlhood.

3. When you press the shutter for this photo (project), what did you think or feel?
Honestly just pure excitement. I’m always so inspired when I’m taking photos. Most of my shoots are on film so there’s an added layer of suspense when I have to wait a few days to get the photos processed.

4. What is the reason why you want to introduce this photo project in ‘World Message’ column? What is special about this picture to you?
This photo was something I’ve been imagining for a while. I love the idea that we’re looking through a fish tank at Stasa, who is looking right back into our gaze. It almost feels like she’s in the fish tank, I love that this photo makes a viewer do a double take.

9. Every month, Marie Claire Korea introduces various voices of worldwide photographers regarding current social issues. What kind of voice do you want the magazines to deliver to readers around the world?
I grew up in the early 2000s and so much of the media then was of one narrow type of beauty. The beauty standard was razor-thin and something only a small percentage of people naturally fit into. Today, I think we’re finally seeing more diverse representation, but I think there’s still a long way to go. I think magazines can help this cause by showcasing all types of people, body types, and skin tones in their imagery.

10. As a photographer dealing with social issues, what attitude or values do you want to keep pursuit?
As a photographer, I want to help add to this growing library of diverse representation. I want to help show that “beautiful” can mean many different things.