{"id":1947083,"date":"2026-05-21T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1947083"},"modified":"2026-05-21T10:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:57:00","slug":"nancy-honeys-photographs-capture-what-it-feels-like-to-be-a-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1947083","title":{"rendered":"Nancy Honey\u2019s photographs capture what it feels like to be a girl"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1500-1000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445645.jpeg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/art-photography\/article\/70303\/1\/nancy-honey-claire-de-rouen-shoreditch-photography-exhibition-womens-lives\" data-article-id=\"70303\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.36\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"1100\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445645.jpeg\" width=\"1500\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nancy Honey<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-05-21T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"21 May 2026\"><span class=\"month\">May<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"21\">21,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - art-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Nancy Honey\u2019s photographs capture what it feels like to be <span class=\"nowrap\">a girl<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>As a retrospective exhibition of her work draws to a close, we speak to the cult photographer about the female body as a commodity, capturing the transition from childhood to adulthood, and why joy is a <span class=\"nowrap\">serious business<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-05-21T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"21 May 2026\"><span class=\"month\">May<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"21\">21,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-05-21T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"21 May 2026\"><span class=\"month\">May<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"21\">21,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/MaleneEngelund\"><br \/>\nMalene Engelund<br \/>\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Nancy Honey<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/0\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-59-960-640\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445641.jpeg\" width=\"960\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/1\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-173-1100-733\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445643.jpeg\" width=\"1100\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/2\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"1328\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1992-1328\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445646.jpeg\" width=\"1992\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/3\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"719\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1079-719\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445648.jpeg\" width=\"1079\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/4\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-120-960-640\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445650.jpeg\" width=\"960\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/5\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-241-528-352\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445651.jpeg\" width=\"528\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cRight from the very beginning, I wanted to examine how it feels, to explain what it is to be a woman,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nancyhoneyphotographer\/?hl=en\">Nancy Honey<\/a>. As a recent exhibition of her works at London bookshops\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/clairederouenbooks\/?hl=en\">Claire de Rouen<\/a>\u2019s new Shoreditch space comes to an end, it\u2019s a fitting time for the American-born, London-based artist to look back on her career. \u201cI\u2019m 78 years old now, which is mind-blowing, and I just think, \u2018how did I get here so fast, and what does it mean to look back?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The exhibition, specifically curated for Claire de Rouen by the shop\u2019s new co-director Dominic Bell, draws upon Honey\u2019s many photographic series, all of which share a similarly hopeful perspective on womanhood. She says, \u201cIt\u2019s a freeing up of a space of female experience, and I hope it shows a certain sense of enjoyment.\u201d That joyous quality runs throughout Honey\u2019s work, which documents women\u2019s experiences at various stages of life: series such as <\/span><em><span>Entering the Masquerade<\/span><\/em><span> (1992) and <em>A <\/em><\/span><em><span>Daughter&#8217;s View<\/span><\/em><span> (1991), for example,\u00a0<\/span><span>capture the transition from childhood to adulthood with tenderness, rich colours and a kind of hazy, nostalgic glow. There is joy in these images, but Honey doesn&#8217;t shy away from capturing the anxieties of adolescence too: some of her subjects are laughing and goofing around; others appear bored, pensive or even disgusted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"83a52a62-b0ad-4f29-aabb-b4510081ca5b\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445646.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.51\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"1328\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445646.jpeg\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nancy Honey<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cI always wanted to make work that was not didactic, but that explains what it feels like to be a woman. [I didn&#8217;t want to be] negative and not be hard-hitting \u2013 especially during a time when other photographers were,\u201d Honey explains. The result is a body of work that explores changing female lives with a sense of curiosity, at times bodily estrangement (one shot from <em>Entering the Masquerade <\/em>shows a girl in a classroom frowning as she peers, lifts up her shirt and peers down at her own body), and, at its very centre, the notion of playfulness. Clothes, makeup, and shoes become a dress rehearsal for adulthood, and we see young women flicker between states of play and solemnity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A similar in-betweenness is present in Honey\u2019s close-ups, too, which often capture the softness of a young girl\u2019s face beginning to give way to the more pronounced bone structure of an adult. \u201cAs a photographer of women, I am deeply fascinated by how our faces change so quickly,\u201d Honey explains. \u201cYou see a teenage or childlike face, and then you see them maybe a year or two later, and think, <\/span><span>\u2018Oh my God, they look so different!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"e5187d88-dbd5-4638-9582-b4510081ccf9\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/960\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445650.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.74\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"1294\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445650.jpeg\" width=\"960\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nancy Honey<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>As the artist recalls, she has at times received criticism for portraying womanhood and femininity with such a light touch, with some critics suggesting that her work lacks gravitas. \u201cI remember I was showing the work as a slide presentation and one woman just either shouted out or put up her hand and said, &#8216;Don&#8217;t you think this is very marshmallowy?\u2019\u201d But while she may imbue her work with humour and warmth, that does not mean she ignores larger, more serious concerns of the female body as a commodity in a patriarchal and capitalist society. \u201cOne of my big questions is: what would it be like if we as women were ruling the world? And why is it that a picture of a beautiful young lady, teenager or early 20s, is always there to sell something? What do we do about that? Do we censor ourselves, or do we just say, \u2018What the hell?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Honey\u2019s images possess both a <em>what-the-hell<\/em> attitude and an insistence that, despite the difficulties, existing in a female body can at least sometimes be experienced and documented with a certain lightness.\u00a0As she puts it,\u00a0<\/span><span>\u201cEven though I feel like I have a lot of joie de vivre, I still think I\u2019m talking about serious things. Joy is serious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/clairederouenbooks\/\">Claire de Rouen<\/a>\u2019s new shop is now open at 11A Kingsland Road, London and their outstanding cultural programming continues with more exhibitions planned to celebrate 2026, their 20th anniversary year.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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Photography<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">Nancy Honey\u2019s photographs capture what it feels like to be a girl<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/70291\/1\/kutt-idea-books-lesbian-magazine-oos-chloe-sevigny-collier-schorr\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"KUTT\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/128-274-1190-793\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445486.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Art &amp; Photography<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">Inside KUTT, the cult lesbian 00s magazine<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/70287\/1\/jung-kook-for-calvin-klein-see-the-exclusive-bts-images\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"L2000495_FINAL_6000x4000_sRGB_Hi_Res\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/363-312-1975-1317\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445475.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Fashion<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">Jung Kook for Calvin Klein: See exclusive BTS images<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"split-rail-card card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/event\/article\/70240\/1\/what-went-down-at-maison-margiela-s-the-scentsorium-collection-launch\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__img-wrapper card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"split-rail-card__campaign optional-paragraph\">Maison Margiela Fragrances<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Scentsorium Collection\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/640\/0-480-1595-1063\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/4\/1444909.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"split-rail-card__content card-latest__content\"><span class=\"split-rail-card__ribbon card-latest__ribbon\">Event<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"split-rail-card__title card-latest__title\">What went down at Maison Margiela\u2019s \u2018The Scentsorium Collection\u2019 launch<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Nancy Honey<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/0\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-59-960-640\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445641.jpeg\" width=\"960\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/1\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"733\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-173-1100-733\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445643.jpeg\" width=\"1100\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/2\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"1328\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1992-1328\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445646.jpeg\" width=\"1992\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/3\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"719\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1079-719\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445648.jpeg\" width=\"1079\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/4\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-120-960-640\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445650.jpeg\" width=\"960\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/37059\/5\/nancy-honey\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-241-528-352\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445651.jpeg\" width=\"528\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cRight from the very beginning, I wanted to examine how it feels, to explain what it is to be a woman,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nancyhoneyphotographer\/?hl=en\">Nancy Honey<\/a>. As a recent exhibition of her works at London bookshops\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/clairederouenbooks\/?hl=en\">Claire de Rouen<\/a>\u2019s new Shoreditch space comes to an end, it\u2019s a fitting time for the American-born, London-based artist to look back on her career. \u201cI\u2019m 78 years old now, which is mind-blowing, and I just think, \u2018how did I get here so fast, and what does it mean to look back?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The exhibition, specifically curated for Claire de Rouen by the shop\u2019s new co-director Dominic Bell, draws upon Honey\u2019s many photographic series, all of which share a similarly hopeful perspective on womanhood. She says, \u201cIt\u2019s a freeing up of a space of female experience, and I hope it shows a certain sense of enjoyment.\u201d That joyous quality runs throughout Honey\u2019s work, which documents women\u2019s experiences at various stages of life: series such as <\/span><em><span>Entering the Masquerade<\/span><\/em><span> (1992) and <em>A <\/em><\/span><em><span>Daughter&#8217;s View<\/span><\/em><span> (1991), for example,\u00a0<\/span><span>capture the transition from childhood to adulthood with tenderness, rich colours and a kind of hazy, nostalgic glow. There is joy in these images, but Honey doesn&#8217;t shy away from capturing the anxieties of adolescence too: some of her subjects are laughing and goofing around; others appear bored, pensive or even disgusted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"83a52a62-b0ad-4f29-aabb-b4510081ca5b\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445646.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.51\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"1328\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445646.jpeg\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nancy Honey<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cI always wanted to make work that was not didactic, but that explains what it feels like to be a woman. [I didn&#8217;t want to be] negative and not be hard-hitting \u2013 especially during a time when other photographers were,\u201d Honey explains. The result is a body of work that explores changing female lives with a sense of curiosity, at times bodily estrangement (one shot from <em>Entering the Masquerade <\/em>shows a girl in a classroom frowning as she peers, lifts up her shirt and peers down at her own body), and, at its very centre, the notion of playfulness. Clothes, makeup, and shoes become a dress rehearsal for adulthood, and we see young women flicker between states of play and solemnity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A similar in-betweenness is present in Honey\u2019s close-ups, too, which often capture the softness of a young girl\u2019s face beginning to give way to the more pronounced bone structure of an adult. \u201cAs a photographer of women, I am deeply fascinated by how our faces change so quickly,\u201d Honey explains. \u201cYou see a teenage or childlike face, and then you see them maybe a year or two later, and think, <\/span><span>\u2018Oh my God, they look so different!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"e5187d88-dbd5-4638-9582-b4510081ccf9\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/960\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445650.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.74\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nancy Honey\" class=\"img\" height=\"1294\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445650.jpeg\" width=\"960\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nancy Honey<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>As the artist recalls, she has at times received criticism for portraying womanhood and femininity with such a light touch, with some critics suggesting that her work lacks gravitas. \u201cI remember I was showing the work as a slide presentation and one woman just either shouted out or put up her hand and said, &#8216;Don&#8217;t you think this is very marshmallowy?\u2019\u201d But while she may imbue her work with humour and warmth, that does not mean she ignores larger, more serious concerns of the female body as a commodity in a patriarchal and capitalist society. \u201cOne of my big questions is: what would it be like if we as women were ruling the world? And why is it that a picture of a beautiful young lady, teenager or early 20s, is always there to sell something? What do we do about that? Do we censor ourselves, or do we just say, \u2018What the hell?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Honey\u2019s images possess both a <em>what-the-hell<\/em> attitude and an insistence that, despite the difficulties, existing in a female body can at least sometimes be experienced and documented with a certain lightness.\u00a0As she puts it,\u00a0<\/span><span>\u201cEven though I feel like I have a lot of joie de vivre, I still think I\u2019m talking about serious things. Joy is serious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/clairederouenbooks\/\">Claire de Rouen<\/a>\u2019s new shop is now open at 11A Kingsland Road, London and their outstanding cultural programming continues with more exhibitions planned to celebrate 2026, their 20th anniversary year.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/70303\/1\/nancy-honey-claire-de-rouen-shoreditch-photography-exhibition-womens-lives&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-1500-1000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/5\/1445645.jpeg&#8221;] Photography Nancy Honey May\u00a0 21,\u00a0 2026 Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox Nancy Honey\u2019s photographs capture what it feels like to be a girl As a retrospective exhibition of her work draws to a close, we speak to the cult photographer about the female body as a commodity, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1947083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1947083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947083\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1947083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1947083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1947083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}