INSTITUTE for Artist Management

FEATURE: REAL BEAUTY by Jodi Bieber

This project is an extension of a Dove billboard advertising campaign in London showing ordinary women in their underwear advocating and speaking up for Real Beauty.  A BBC radio documentary spoke about an increase in the cases of black anorexic women in South Africa, as the full figured body, which was once more favorable, is no longer as desirable as Western body shapes.

Jodi felt a strong need to create a body of work that goes against what the media has depicted as beautiful. Even within a complex society such as South Africa, across all communities, women hold the unnecessary perceptions of self-doubt around themselves and their beauty from an early age. The world deals with reality and no photoshop has been used to remove blemishes, scars, cellulite, and any other form of imperfection.  The photographic shoot was a collaboration between Jodi and each woman, whom she photographer at their homes.  The setting within their surroundings was Bieber's choice but each woman’s pose was pretty much self-directed. Bieber wanted each woman to project her personality or her fantasy into her shoot. The shoot created a space for each woman to explore her own identity in relation to beauty.

Bieber discovered that most women believe that there is no real perfect body shape and it is more about being healthy and feeling comfortable in ones own skin. The general trend was more accepting of thinner and curvaceous women and less accepting of the ultra thin models we see in the media. It is said that the lighter your skin, the more beautiful you are. The common ground for Jodi’s work is the women she photographed wanted to make a stand for Real Beauty.

Polka Magazine issue 8 launch. Cover story by Jodi Bieber

Visura Magazine, issue 8 is entirely dedicated to INSTITUTE

Jodi Bieber's work presented in group show in Pennsylvania

 

Jodi Bieber published in Mare Magazine

Jodi Bieber show at Johannesburg Art Gallery, opens Feb 7th

PDN covers Jodi Bieber and Zed Nelson's projects on Body Image

Variations on a Theme: Body Image (click for original PDN article)

Our bodies define us, and obsess us. The media is full of stories about bodies and body politics: obesity, anorexia, performance enhancing drugs, cosmetic surgery, breast cancer (and when to start screening for it)—the list goes on, and the arguments can be heated. Of course, women's magazines are frequently criticized for promoting impossible ideals of the female form, and for cheating (with Photoshop) to do it. Against that backdrop, a number of photographers have been deconstructing bodies through both documentary and fine art lenses. Below are images from some noteworthy projects we’ve come across that explore the relationship between body and identity, and the powerful ways that society, culture, and politics mediate that relationship. If you know of other related projects, please share links in the comment section below. 

Jodi Bieber: "Real Beauty" (click on picture below to see entire series)

 

Jodie Bieber/INSTITUTE

Zed Nelson: "Love Me" (click on images to see entire series)

 

Zed Nelson/INSTITUTE

Our bodies define us, and obsess us. The media is full of stories about bodies and body politics: obesity, anorexia, performance enhancing drugs, cosmetic surgery, breast cancer (and when to start screening for it)—the list goes on, and the arguments can be heated. Of course, women's magazines are frequently criticized for promoting impossible ideals of the female form, and for cheating (with Photoshop) to do it. Against that backdrop, a number of photographers have been deconstructing bodies through both documentary and fine art lenses. Below are images from some noteworthy projects we’ve come across that explore the relationship between body and identity, and the powerful ways that society, culture, and politics mediate that relationship. If you know of other related projects, please share links in the comment section below. 

Jodi Bieber: "Real Beauty" (click on picture below to see entire series)

 

Jodie Bieber/INSTITUTE

INSTITUTE Press Release (December 8th, 2009)

We are pleased to announce the formation of INSTITUTE for Artist Management (IAM), an artist management and a multiplatform production company representing leading visual artists and storytellers from the world of photography and documentary filmmaking. INSTITUTE is based in Los Angeles, New York and London.

INSTITUTE is dedicated to supporting its artists, and their key partners around the world, towards accomplishing their personal visions and professional goals.

INSTITUTE artists are all engaged in important long-term, creative projects, which require multiple levels of international partnerships, and involve a wide variety of funding entities, book publishers, fine art galleries, media companies, cultural institutions and foundations. INSTITUTE’s primary mandate will be to help produce, to distribute and to leverage the artists’ work and partnerships, and use the resulting synergies to ensure the broadest and most successful communication of the artist’s vision.

INSTITUTE is committed to bringing its expertise and understanding of the international, multi-platform media market, to its commercial and editorial clients. Given the de facto reality of the print, television, web and mobile paradigm that we all live in, the client side of the equation is increasingly interested in integrated multi-platform content solutions. INSTITUTE’s in- depth and unique background in a wide variety of media production, positions it perfectly to combine the talents of its artists with the increasingly complex needs of its clients. Furthermore, the international reach of our key members enables us to collaborate on projects in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

The INSTITUTE artists listed below are among the most talented visual image-makers working today, producing works in photography and film. From its directors who represent the finest in the documentary filmmaking tradition, to its photographers who rank amongst the most important visual artists of our time, INSTITUTE artists are continuing to produce bodies of work which offer profoundly illuminating insights into the human condition.

Jodi Bieber
Rena Effendi
Lauren Greenfield
Rob Hornstra
Nadav Kander
Gillian Laub
James Longley
Gerd Ludwig
Joshua Lutz
Amanda Micheli
Richard Mosse
Zed Nelson
Jehad Nga
Simon Norfolk
James Pomerantz
Paul Shambroom

Not all of the artists are exclusively represented by INSTITUTE.
For more information on the artists and the company, please visit the INSTITUTE website at www.instituteartistmanagement.com

Jodi Bieber's work at Goodman Gallery, Paris Photo

INSTITUTE artist Jodi Bieber will exhibit work from her most recent photographic essay entitled Real Beauty. These photographs reflect her powerful impulse to create images which stand against what the media has depicted as traditionally beautiful.

This series of work was shot in South Africa, a complex society, in which Bieber believes that women hold unnecessary perceptions of self doubt around themselves and their beauty from an early age.

The series will be displayed at the Goodman Galleries stand A17, Salle Delorme, Carrousel du Louvre.

Jodi Bieber wins the Prix de le l'union Europeenne in Bamako, Mali

INSTITUTE is very proud to announce that Jodi Bieber won the Prix de le l'union Europeenne at the Recontres de Bamako Biennale Africaine de la Photographie this week.