You Brought Your Own Light, a New Book of Transgender Portraits
A book of transgender portraiture showcasing the work of award-winning photographer Allie Crewe has been published by Axis Projects Publishing this July 2020.
You Brought Your Own Light is produced by Alan J Ward and brings together 26 of Allie’s revealing Transgender portraits, including the image of Grace, a doctor, which won the BJP Portrait of Britain 2019.
A series of 12 of the portraits were initially exhibited in Manchester at an event sponsored by the National Transgender Charity, Sparkle.
You Brought Your Own Light now brings these portraits together in a book, continuing Allie’s journey as a political artist exploring social issues of the day using photography to give a voice to those often denied power; becoming a campaigner by giving visibility to other people’s narratives.
Her photographic portraiture recognises that there is nothing linear, defined or straightforward about femininity, or what it means to be a woman, in the 21st century.
You Brought Your Own Light is the first published book of Allie’s work and has been created with the support of Arts Council England.
Allie Crewe says: “Stories of transformation fascinate me, especially when they are women’s stories. I love to photograph teenagers, trans women, women surviving illness or escaping violent marriages. It is not just the physical changes that draw me but how our internal, emotional lives change too.
“To take a person’s image is, in part, self portrait. I am representing women, exploring their narratives and interweaving them with my own.”
Her work has been praised by high profile industry publications including Magnum and LensCulture. Both were impressed by the authenticity of Allie’s portraits of transgender people, referencing their poignant and classical composition and noting the empathetic nature of each image.
Allie has worked with her friend and collaborator Olivia Fisher, who has written the words in the book.
Allie’s new work includes a series of portraits to help change the narrative of domestic violence in conjunction with Safe Lives.
Allie was also commissioned by the NHS for Still I Rise, which celebrated Black History month, and Unseen Community, a project commissioned by Proud 2b Parents exploring the LGBTQ+ parenting narrative.
The book can be purchased at https://www.allie-crewe.uk/store
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
