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In 1979, JEB (Joan E. Biren) self-published her first book, i>Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians/i>. Revolutionary at that time, JEB made photographs of lesbians from different ages and backgrounds in their everyday lives-working, playing, raising families, and striving to remake their worlds. The photographs were accompanied by testimonials from the women pictured in the book, as well as writings from icons including Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich and a foreword from Joan Nestle. i>Eye to Eye/i> signalled a radical new way of seeing - moving lesbian lives from the margins to the centre, and reversing a history of invisibility. More than just a book, it was an affirmation of the existence of lesbians that helped to propel a political movement. Reprinted for the first time in forty years and featuring new essays from photographer Lola Flash and former soccer player Lori Lindsey, Eye to Eye is a faithful reproduction of a work that continues to resonate in the queer community and beyond.
About the author
JEB (Joan E. Biren), is an award-winning documentary photographer and filmmaker. She is best known for her groundbreaking work in chronicling the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. In 1979, Biren self-published her first book, Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians, a pivotal work that documented the everyday lives of lesbians in the United States. Her second book, Making a Way: Lesbians Out Front, was released in 1987. JEB has been featured in many notable publications, including The New York Times, Vogue, and The Atlantic. Her photographs are in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, the Leslie-Lohman Museum in New York, the national Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and the Academy of Arts in Berlin, Germany among other places.Lori Lindsey is a retired American soccer player. With a career spanning thirteen years, Lindsey was a member of the United States Women’s National Team, representing the team at both the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2012 Olympics. She is currently a commentator for the National Women’s Soccer League, ESPN, Major League Soccer, and United Soccer League. Also a public speaker, she has traveled the world advocating awareness and equality for women and the LGBT community, in both sports and society overall.Lola Flash is an American photographer whose work focuses on subjects deemed invisible by society—interrogating gender, sexual, and racial norms. Her career began in the 1980s, documenting the social and political issues of the AIDS epidemic, later becoming an integral member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. Flash has produced a number of critically acclaimed series, including Salt, [sur]passing, and Legends, and has been exhibited in The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Pen + Brush, and Victoria and Albert Museum.Tee Corinne was a photographer, author, editor, and activist. Often noted as one of the most influential lesbian women of her generation, her work is noted for its celebration of female sexuality and lesbian love, and subverting the male gaze. As a sex educator in the '70s, Corinne recognized the need for accessible images of female genitalia and self-published the iconic Cunt Coloring Book (1975), which remains in print to this day. Her artwork has appeared in The Advocate, Feminist Studies, and Philadelphia Gay News. She was the recipient of the Lambda Literary Award, the Women's Caucus for Art President's Award, and the Abdill-Ellis Lambda Lifetime Achievement Award. She passed away in 2006 at the age of sixty-two.
Summary
The women in these portraits were some of the first dykes I ever laid eyes on, and the book feels like a lost family album. -Alison Bechdel
In 1979, JEB self-published her first book, Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians. In a work that was revolutionary for its era, JEB made photographs of lesbians from different ages and backgrounds in their everyday lives—working, playing, raising families, and striving to remake their worlds. The photographs were accompanied by writings from acclaimed authors including Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Joan Nestle, and others. Various women pictured in the book also shared their personal stories. Eye to Eye signaled a radical new way of seeing—moving lesbian lives from the margins to the center, and reversing a history of invisibility. More than just a book, it was an affirmation of the existence of lesbians that helped to propel a political movement. Reprinted for the first time in forty years, Eye to Eye is a faithful reproduction of a work that still resonates today. This edition features additional essays from artist and writer Tee Corinne, former World Cup soccer player Lori Lindsey, and photographer Lola Flash.
