Columbus‑based photographer Laura Larson, known for her thoughtful explorations of difficult subjects, will join poet‑author Christine Hume for a book launch on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Center for Print and Collaborative Arts (705 Ann St.). The event, running from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will showcase their new volume, All the Women I Know (Counterpath Press), which pairs Larson’s striking back‑view portraits with Hume’s lyrical prose.
Concept behind the portraits
Larson explains that the project grew out of a desire to capture what she calls “portraits of refusal.” By photographing women from behind, she lets the subjects decide the setting—often a house or other place of personal meaning—while she limits technical intervention, using only natural light and a half‑roll of film. The result is a series that resists conventional portraiture and invites viewers to imagine the lives, histories, and perspectives hidden from the camera’s view.
From historic hysteria to modern resistance
Larson’s earlier work, City of Incurable Women (2022), responded to 19th‑century diagnostic photographs of women diagnosed with hysteria at Paris’s Pitié‑Salpêtrière Hospital. Those images raised a philosophical question she still wrestles with: can a photograph truly convey suffering? The new book extends that inquiry, focusing instead on collective empowerment. Hume’s recurring line, “no woman I know,” underscores both the act of refusal and the knowledge that emerges from it.
Collaboration with Christine Hume
Hume’s poetic contributions echo the visual theme, offering verses such as, “No woman I know wants you to either see through her eyes or see through her,” and “No woman I know shows her daughter how to laugh and shrug it off.” Larson notes that the collaboration was not a simple “photo‑plus‑text” exercise; the two artists engaged in a dynamic conversation, allowing the writing to expand the visual palette without becoming a rigid commentary.
Local relevance and community impact
The launch highlights Columbus’s vibrant arts scene and underscores the city’s support for projects that explore gender, agency, and creative expression. By presenting the work in a community‑focused venue, Larson and Hume invite local residents to consider how everyday refusals can become sources of power and liberation. The event also reflects a broader trend of artists using intimate, low‑tech methods—particularly relevant during the pandemic years when small, socially distanced shoots were essential.
About the creators
Laura Larson began photography after an introductory college course and later supported herself as a darkroom printer for fashion editors and artists. Her career has been marked by a willingness to tackle subjects that resist easy visual translation. Christine Hume is an award‑winning poet and essayist whose work often explores language, identity, and the body.
Join the conversation
Attendees will have the opportunity to view the book, hear the creators discuss their process, and engage in a Q&A about the role of art in fostering communal resilience. The Center for Print and Collaborative Arts welcomes anyone interested in the intersection of photography, poetry, and women’s experiences.
Original reporting: Matter News (Columbus) — read the source article.
