Joyce Tenneson (American, b. 1945)
Tenneson is a photographer whose images engage with ideas of femininity, identity, and spirituality. Upon moving to New York in her thirties, she was met with a series of struggles with her own identity that caused the “launching [of her] vulnerable self into a whole new world” and resulted in her most extensive photo-books of women and flowers in the 1990s: Transformations, Illuminations, and Light Warriors. Her photographs are often visceral and depict subjects identified by Tenneson as seemingly “authentic” or “on some sort of spiritual journey.” Tenneson captures her models with a 20×24 Polaroid camera engulfed by a heavenly phosphorescence, evoking a sense of acceptance and ease with revealing their inner selves.
Tenneson earned her BA from Regis College and her MFA from George Washington University. Her work has appeared on several magazine covers such as Time, Life, Esquire, and The New York Times. Her photographs were featured in solo exhibitions, namely the Griffin Museum, Massachusetts; Munch Museum, Norway; Fotografiska Museum, Sweden; and the Asheville Art Museum, North Carolina. Tenneson received the “Infinity” Award from the International Center of Photography, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from Professional Photographers of America.
