Elizabeth Renstrom: Distinctly Feminine
November 30th, 2022
Femininity performed and displayed through a patriarchal lens exists frequently only for mockery and derision. Too often ostracised to the realms of kitsch within art, a reverence for traditionally female forms, colour and modes of expression has historically been treated as mere aesthetic accessory; rather than a language to be utilised for political and self expression. But the tides are turning.
A new generation of photographer is breaking through, unashamedly revelling in the camp of female representation and using it to make pointedly political statements. In celebration of this reclaiming of style, we spoke with Elizabeth Renstrom, an artist at the vanguard of the movement, taking a look at the production process and impact of popular visual culture.
Public Offerings Ltd: Hi Elizabeth! First up, can you introduce yourself to our readers and how you would describe your art?
Elizabeth Renstrom: Hello! My name is Elizabeth Renstrom and I love to create photographs about our personal spaces, how visual culture affects us, and our collective connection to beauty and products.
My work tends to be highly saturated, prop driven and satirical. I like to think many of my photos end up having a “Where’s Waldo?” effect - or end up looking like a sticker book.
POL: Your work is unashamedly maximalist, what drew you to this style?
ER: I think a lot of my photography is about condensing many ideas into one image, adding a wash of light, and allowing the viewer to do a double take. I’ve always been a bit of a magpie, and I feel like it definitely comes through in my work.
POL: Why do you think maximalism (from fashion to art and interior design) is on the rise?
ER: I think after a period of very “all white open floor plans” people are excited to embrace personality again.
I think trends are cyclical, and we just came out of a minimalism across the board from “no makeup makeup”, “skin scents”, “Kim Kardashian’s house”, etc. and people are reacting against it. Especially given the past almost 3 years of the pandemic, I feel like people are embracing expressing themselves in bolder ways after so much restraint.
What would be in the frame without them to show their life? How would the items in the photo define their personality?
POL: There is such distinct character, time and place in your photography, what’s your process for world building?
ER: A lot of my process and inspiration for propping comes from asking myself questions about the person I’m trying to capture without them there: What would be in the frame without them to show their life? How would the items in the photo define their personality?
I think the project that really encapsulates that thought process is Basenote Bitch. Each photo is inspired by the year an iconic perfume came out and the kind of person I think would wear it.
POL: Did you have any passions or obsessions as a kid which you’ve found reappearing in your imagery?
ER: I loved collecting as a child, which I think is definitely reflected in my photographs. TY Beanie Babies, stuffed animals, Pokémon cards, magazines, etc.
My sticker book was a sacred declaration of the time and thought I put into finding all the best Mrs. Grossman’s. I made shrines in every corner of my room for proof of love to my most cherished items. All those tendencies are often expressed in my need for people to understand the objects in my setups.
POL: It’s fair to say that your work contains a lot of unique props, where do you find them? Do you go out looking for something in particular or do you create scenes around objects you already have?
ER: I find a lot of my props and set dressing on eBay, thrift stores, friends, collectors, and the like. I’d say half of what I pick up is intentional and part of a photograph that’s been cooking in my head. The other half are things I collect for future images, or things I know could be useful for the types of themes I continually speak to.
“It’s a way to disarm people before they're confronted with the sometimes thornier topics I like to discuss.”
POL: Across all of your work you are unafraid of bold colour choices, can you tell us a little bit about your use of colour?
ER: I love to arrest the viewer with bright poppy colours, fuzzy textures, and generally softer materials. In many ways it’s a way to disarm people before they're confronted with the sometimes thornier topics I like to discuss. I also love challenging people’s preconceived ideas about these ultra-feminine palettes I like to work in.
POL: Your images are distinctly feminine, do you think of your use of gendered iconography as a political statement?
ER: Yes, definitely. I think people often underestimate it. I love colours and textures that I can often use to “disarm” the viewer, and also represent what it means to be feminine - while combining them with themes about what lurks under the surface. I think one example in particular would be this image [below], that I made during the peak of our ongoing self-care movement.
POL: In 2020 you did the imagery for Carnal Knowledge: Sex Education You Didn’t Get in School, how do you pick which projects you work on?
ER: I was so excited to have the opportunity to work on that project with a long term collaborator and friend, Zoë Ligon. It was an extension of a series we were first commissioned to do for Topic Stories, which I then pitched to be a fuller set of tips. I feel very honoured that a lot of the projects I get to work on fall within themes I genuinely like exploring in my own personal projects.
POL: There is always a sense of humour/fun in your imagery. Do you think humour can be a powerful tool for inciting progressive change?
ER: Yes, I believe humour and nostalgia when used correctly can bring a viewer in and have them reconsider certain topics.
POL: What would be your dream project, if money and time were no object?
ER: I would love to direct a short feature film.
POL: You’ve been a senior photo editor for The New Yorker and Vice, how do you think this work history has impacted your creative process?
ER: I think being able to collaborate with artists and support them in finding their own vision has undoubtedly helped my own. I have alway taken shooting gigs at my other staff positions and I think it's given me a certain amount of empathy being on both sides of an assignment.
I know what it is to produce and give someone an opportunity, but I also know what I need as a photographer from a photo editor to make something amazing. It's kind of like being a photo coach in a bizarre fun way.
POL: What are you working on now? What’s Next?
ER: I’m now fully freelance and balancing shooting with other part time projects. I’ve been trying to build my I’m also working on a new project loosely called Selling Lines, which is a joint visual and written series I started earlier this year. It investigates the way teen magazines from the late ‘90s and early aughts addressed young female bodies, via photographs and text, which has forever informed our visual vernacular.
Taking bodies as my central theme, I’m delving into topics like diet culture, puberty, desirability (what it means to be desirable, who you are/are not allowed to desire), and self-presentation (clothing, makeup).
POL: Amazing - we can’t wait to see more! Thanks so much for talking with us Elizabeth.
About Elizabeth Renstrom
Elizabeth Renstrom is a photographer and photo editor who likes to do fun art direction, prop styling and set stuff (ie. ebay scouring!) Previously, she was the Senior Photo Editor at The New Yorker, prior to that of Vice Media.
Currently she is an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design.