Book Review: The Last Safe Abortion by Carmen Winant

Book Review: The Last Safe Abortion by Carmen Winant

Winner of THE AUTHOR BOOK AWARD at the Rencontres d’Arles Book Awards, 2024

Having previously reviewed Carmen Winant’s striking photo book My Birth, I was eager to engage with her latest work, The Last Safe Abortion. Known for her ability to blend profoundly personal subject matter with broader feminist and sociopolitical concerns, Winant’s work consistently challenges the way we view intimate yet universal experiences. While My Birth explored the raw and transformative act of childbirth through over 2,000 archival photographs, The Last Safe Abortion shifts focus to the quiet, often invisible world of abortion care and its importance as a feminist and human right.

All images – Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

To purchase this book, please go here.

This new work reaffirms Winant’s status as a pioneer in using photography to interrogate complex themes while creating space for empathy and understanding. By documenting the unspectacular but essential work of abortion clinics and their staff, she sheds light on a subject that remains as contentious as it is vital, particularly in the wake of increasing restrictions on reproductive rights globally.

A Humanising Lens on Abortion

Much like My Birth, The Last Safe Abortion employs a mix of archival and contemporary photographs, but this time, the focus is on abortion clinics and the people who sustain them. The book captures the daily realities of these spaces: waiting rooms, medical instruments being sterilised, bulletin boards, and moments of solidarity among staff. These images demystify and normalise abortion, presenting it as not only a medical procedure but also an act of care.

Winant’s lens is deeply compassionate, emphasising the feminist principles that underpin these clinics. The spaces’ nonhierarchical, community-focused ethos is palpable in her photographs, highlighting the clinical tasks and the human connections within them. Staff are shown supporting each other and their patients, celebrating birthdays, and engaging in mundane yet meaningful acts that sustain these vital services.

Context and Urgency

While the project began years before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, that ruling has made The Last Safe Abortion feel painfully timely. The book now serves as a record of resistance in an era when abortion rights are under sustained attack. Winant, who lives in Ohio—a state with some of the most restrictive abortion laws—imbues her work with the urgency of lived experience.

For British readers, the book offers a stark reminder that reproductive rights, while more secure in the UK, are far from universally protected. The stigma surrounding abortion remains prevalent, and debates over access and funding persist. Winant’s work challenges us to reconsider the humanity and necessity of abortion care, regardless of the political or cultural landscape.

A Radical Visual Approach

One of the most compelling aspects of The Last Safe Abortion is its challenge to dominant visual narratives surrounding abortion. Historically, anti-abortion campaigns have employed shocking and graphic imagery to provoke outrage and fear. Winant’s photographs, by contrast, focus on the everyday reality of abortion care, reasserting its normalcy and importance. Her images are unassuming but deeply powerful, capturing moments of tenderness, solidarity, and quiet resistance.

This approach recalls the visual ethos of My Birth, which also reframed a profoundly personal experience through a feminist lens. However, The Last Safe Abortion extends this project into activism, using photography as an art form and a tool for social change. It is a deliberate counter-narrative, one that seeks to shift the cultural perception of abortion from controversy to care.

Artistic and Political Resonance

Winant’s ability to balance artistry with advocacy is perhaps what makes her work so impactful. The book is a beautifully crafted photobook and a call to action. By documenting the lived experiences of clinic workers and the environments they create, Winant highlights the resilience and compassion that sustain these spaces. Her photographs testify to the enduring struggle for reproductive justice and are a tribute to the individuals who make that struggle possible.

Conclusion

Building on the success of My Birth, Carmen Winant’s The Last Safe Abortion is a powerful exploration of abortion care as a feminist and human right. It challenges entrenched narratives through its focus on routine acts of care, offering a compassionate and deeply human portrayal of abortion clinics. For British readers, the book serves as both a reminder of the universality of reproductive struggles and an invitation to reflect on the importance of preserving and normalising these rights.

Winant’s latest work is timely as necessary, a testament to her ability to engage with pressing social issues through photography. Much like My Birth, The Last Safe Abortion combines artistry, activism, and empathy to create a moving and provocative work. This photo book is essential for those invested in feminist politics, reproductive rights, and the power of visual storytelling.

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