Female Bodybuilders by Martin Schoeller

Martin Schoeller is a portrait photographer renowned for his close-up images of famous peoples faces.

He has now turned his lens towards female bodybuilders by producing a series of images of them cropped tightly to their head and torso. The actual images are very large, nearly two metres high, and I imagine quite confronting.

Female bodybuilders are even more startling than their male counterparts because they take you by surprise. On one hand you re supposed to be attracted to them, on the other you are repulsed. They are so masculine in their appearance that it is just confusing.

In Martin Schoeller's words, "These women mirror our modern cultural hunger for size and aggression, and attention at any cost. We are in the age of Bigness. Bigger televisions, bigger automobiles, bigger wars, bigger people.

While many people push their physical limits, these women go all out, risking their lives for an ideal of female masculinity. Their insatiable appetite to embody it all may reflect our own lust for more, maybe more than we are willing to admit.

These women are not uncomfortable with the way they look, it is our discomfort we feel."

I find these images very interesting though I am still not sure what I really feel about them.

I am not convinced of Martin's explanation for these images and their intent. I don't think the way he has photographed these women really communicates what he is wanting to say.

Sure everything is bigger and faster these days but to me the metaphor is lost in the inherent stillness and sadness I see in the subjects. They may be comfortable within themselves but this is not apparent to me.

They look like weird passport photographs with women's heads attached to muscle men bodies. Even though I know these are real women and the photos are not manipulated they look 'fake'.

Maybe that is what they convey more than anything, the superficiality of much of modern western culture and the pursuit of ideals that have themselves become so twisted and distorted they no longer have any real value left.

Very confusing...

You can see a short video of Martin photographing the body builders on YouTube

Reader Comments

bignanna

11/12/2008 at 07:54

Sorry they all look like men in drag. Terrible, why would women want to look like that, not feminine at all, ugh ugh ugh

Francesco Ravipinto

16/12/2008 at 12:36

They would have to be the most ugliest photos women that i have seen, no direspect to the photographer.

bryane

20/12/2008 at 20:01

i do respect the work these women put in to thier chosen profesion but there is a complete lack of any womens softness and apeal,i agree that the photos are taken without any atempt to sofen or show happiness in the poses,its like viewing statues of stone. good luck girls

Pinetree

06/03/2009 at 12:43

Thats a dude if I've ever seen one.

cherrie preston

23/01/2010 at 05:02

I understand having a passion for something. If body building is your passion "so be it". To often we are caught up in sterotypes and social roles. Being and indivual is what sets you apart from the masses. I do agree with the "lack of feminity"in a physical sense. However if you still maintain your feminity in whatever respesct, then BIG UPS TO YA LADIES!!!

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Chyler

06/12/2010 at 07:09

All I can say is, I hope that's photo shop. I am not trying to be mean in anymeans. I give you women kudos to showing men, us women, well in my case girl, can be just as strong, and even stronger than men!!!! Go my SUPER WOMEN!!!!!!

terri

12/03/2011 at 16:42

oh my goodness... lol

cannonball

04/06/2011 at 17:22

You guys are too critical. There aren't many women like this so they have lots of dates and proposals. I read they have a lot of sex drive, which keeps them popular. Get to know one and date her, then you would be in a better position to evaluate her.

Paul

18/05/2012 at 18:53

It would be incorrect to classify these chimeras as female or male. Nevertheless , they are mostly mostly male on account of the synthetic testosterone they have been taking. Perhaps we should create a new sex for them. For now, until a better term comes along I refer to them as post-female.