Kelli Connell's 'Pictures for Charis' Explores Photography, Gender, and Legacy Through Text and Image

Kelli Connell's new project, 'Pictures for Charis,' combines text and visuals to delve into photography, gender, and portraiture. It centers on Charis Wilson, a writer and Edward Weston’s partner. Alongside her partner, artist Betsy Odom, Connell retraces the locations where Wilson and Weston took photographs over 80 years ago. This 280-page hardcover, set to be released in 2024 by Aperture and the Center for Creative Photography, includes 107 photographs and marks Connell's first venture into merging text with visual studies. Born in 1974 in Oklahoma City, Connell's work, which explores themes of sexuality and identity, is part of renowned collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Odom, based in Chicago, has an MFA from Yale and her work has appeared in Artforum and the Chicago Tribune. This project enriches Weston's classic images while highlighting Connell's fresh perspectives on desire and artistic connections in a shifting cultural landscape.