Carrie Mae Weems, 1987.
In this image Weems stares back at us in a relaxed but confrontational pose, she is saying “so what?” to the naysayers or those who judge. Her physicality and gaze subverts the traditional fetishisation and sexualisation of black women and their bodies to show us a woman very happy with her choices and empowered by her autonomy. The text title of the image invites us to consider the role of language in upholding traditional shame-filled ideals about women who are or are not full of “grace” and questions who decides what’s good and evil. Ultimately Weem’s confident power pose circumnavigates the traditional white male gaze’s often voyeuristic point of view and depicts instead a woman telling her own story on her own terms.