Silver Perfection
Today’s media is full of female skin. Most often these images are of young women with perfect bodies. This perfection is a mix of the freshness of youth, with the assistance of modern day retouching.
Angelika Buettner presents an admirable series of mature women in all of their raw un-retouched beauty. She trusts Mother Nature and aging, so no retouching is needed. Angelika is looking into the mirror for all of us.
There are so few female image-makers, and many images that we see today come from a male point of view. We need another perspective. The commercial world tells us that youth and youthful features are the ultimate. But Angelika’s perspective and images tell us stories: scars, freckles, wrinkles, and stretch marks are our visible life stories. Why, asks Angelika, would we want to retouch this?
l have always appreciated beautiful elegant nudes in various art forms. From photography to sculpture, when I see the great masters such as Rubens, Degas, Botticelli, I can’t find a six-pack stomach. Many of the ancient goddesses were women of a certain age.
What I liked most about being photographed by Angelika was that it was so natural, like I was simply chatting with a friend. She wants women to be heard. The respect she has for her subjects shines through in these beautiful images.
Thank you, Angelika, for reminding us that beauty and strength are gathered from many years of life.