Photographer Feature: Andi Schreiber
“Invisible Forties… Disappearing is not an option.”
SHENYAH WEBB: I was immediately drawn into the Pretty, Please series when I first explored the candid work of Andi Schreiber. This body of photographs was more than the self-documentation of a middle-aged woman, it resonated on many levels. I could hear those inner-self conversations when catching my own reflection.
When our bodies begin to change with time, our first reaction is to resist. Society whispers through us that it’s ugly, imperfect, no longer touchable or desirable – the truth is that with age, comes a knowing, a healing of life wounds begins to happen and continues to happen, we learn to know how to love ourselves and our bodies. What better time to be touched and desired!? Pretty, Please embodies just this. Shreiber captures the true parts with all of its sexiness with being a middle-aged woman. Each photo speaking to the next and to each other, giving presence and meaning to even the still lifes.
ANDI SCHREIBER: These photographs, from the ongoing series Pretty, Please, are begging you to look. Envelop me with your eyes and do not let go.
When I was in my thirties I heard the expression “Invisible Forties.” I couldn’t imagine how sexually inconsequential I’d feel throughout this decade.
This series is interwoven with my domestic existence. I’m a devoted partner and constant caretaker. Despite expansive growth, something has dimmed. The need for pleasure is no longer a priority.
Midlife is like a second adolescence filled with feelings of uncertainty regarding sexuality. Our hearts may be deeply connected to a long-term partner but our bodies get bored. Turning the camera on myself has allowed me to take stock as a chapter closes.
I want to remain vibrant. I want my body to be useful. Disappearing is not an option.
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Andi Schreiber (American, b. 1966) is a fine art and documentary photographer. A lifelong New Yorker, Andi was born in Brooklyn, raised on Long Island and currently lives in suburban Westchester County with her husband and two sons. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan and was a photojournalist in the Boston area before returning to New York to work as a magazine and newspaper picture editor. Her photographs have appeared in numerous exhibitions and publications. Andi is also a photography instructor/mentor, blogger, event photographer and founder of Eye Candy Editions, a bookmaking venture.