JamesWhitlowDelano_E..

EYEMAZING GAllErY 210
James Whitlow Delano
Selling Spring
What better role can photography play than that of
About half of the photos in this series are quick and
Police were everywhere arresting men. It was more
the compassionate voyeur—allowing us to step out
candid street shots, and the other half are portraits in
tense, frankly, than Kabul, but I was, and still am, fas-
of our own limited lives and, at least for a moment,
which Delano photographed the women in the
cinated by this sub-culture.”
and pull us into someone else’s very different exis-
rooms where they work. The two different styles of
tence? The possibility of stimulating our understand-
images are a powerful complement to each other,
While Delano may have been comfortable with invit-
ing and compassion for another human’s condition,
adding to the sense of seeing both the inner and
ing personal risk into his work, he took care to mini-
pushing the boundaries of our own contained
outer worlds of the women. The candids reveal what
mise the risk to the subjects he photographed.
world—this is ones of the most valuable roles that
it might be like to seek out these women on the
Although Delano is alone in a room with many of the
photography can fulfil.
street where they, in a variety of manners both open
women, he never touches them, and respects their
and covert, offer their services, while the portraits
need for privacy, to keep what for many of them is a
personalise and take us inward.
secret profession, a secret. Delano described the
This is the gift of James Whitlow Delano’s series,
Selling Spring. For the past decade, Delano, an
experience of working with Juliette: “She and I
award-winning international documentary photogra-
One of Delano’s strengths is that he moves nimbly
walked a block and a half to a little hotel where she
pher based in Tokyo, has travelled to over a dozen
and gracefully in the worlds he photographs, altering
worked and I got a chance to get a feel for her tem-
countries photographing sex workers. From Tijuana
them as little as possible with his presence.
perament, which was something I would describe as
to Guatemala City to Cambodia and Tokyo, he has
Photographing sex workers is a delicate endeavour;
calm intelligence. She slipped money through a win-
worked on the edge, putting himself in the often-
not only must Delano have the confidence and calm
dow to a North African man in the stairway of the
risky situation of photographing red light districts at
required to snap a photo in culturally sensitive
hotel and again, half a world away; we entered a
the margins of society. The result is a visual mono-
moments, but he must have the quiet respect needed
room that was dimly lit by bare light bulbs. At one
graph of women on the street, a 120-photo series
for people to let you into their worlds, disrupting
point Juliette said to me, ‘Please do not ruin my life
that is rare in its cultural and geographical breadth.
them as little as possible when lifting his camera.
(by photographing her face).’ I told her that was the
last thing I would ever want to do and explained that
Because Delano has put in the years and energy
“…Moving quietly and working quickly, this may not
I only wanted to photograph her and learn about her.
required to photograph street workers across the
have always applied to the actual portrait, which may
She was magnificent to photograph. I told her this.
globe, this series hits you anew with just how com-
have been a session with a woman for an extended
Of all the women I photographed, Juliette seemed
pletely prostitution is a universal phenomenon. It is
period of time, but it definitely applied to how I
most likely to emerge from that business.”
no surprise that “the oldest profession” reaches far
would arrive unannounced, photograph and leave
beyond all borders; but to see it in Delano’s images so
quietly when finished,” Delano explains. “I needed to
Beneath his lens, the women are freed from the gaze
literally in black and white is a potent reminder that
enter their world, unchanged, no show for the lens.
by which they are usually seen—sexual objects to be
women of all cultures and countries have been doing
To represent some truth about their world and the
used and discarded. His images dig deeper into who
this for centuries—that is the way it has always been.
way that they hang onto the frayed threads of their
they are. When possible, he has heard their stories;
dignity, I knew I would have to attract as little atten-
he has given them the dignity that most people
tion as was possible.”
crave—to be heard.
been documented in the news, art, and film. Like the
The photos in Selling Spring are energised by the ten-
Delano does not view this series as being in any way
best of these representations, Selling Spring peels away
sion and truth of the moment, and become even
a comprehensive study of street prostitution—it does
the stereotypes and objectification of the sex worker to
more so when considering the risk involved in taking
not try to explain the sociological or political reasons
reveal something deeper. When we see one of his sub-
them. The threat of suspicious pimps, crime, and the
behind the phenomenon, nor does Delano suggest
jects, we don’t see just a stranger, but a reminder of
police in these red light districts is no small factor. But
that his photos explain the lives of the women. “This
the common human struggle to survive. Delano says,
Delano is familiar with danger; he has photographed
is not as much a documentary project as a silent
“What interests me is the woman behind this persona
in areas of civil conflict—Yemen, Afghanistan,
movie,” he says. “It is a drama play without dialogue.
created for men’s sexual appetite. She is someone’s sis-
Kashmir, and the southern Philippines, amongst oth-
It is intended to raise more questions than deliver
ter, daughter, maybe someone’s mother.”
ers. Working in these places, he, in his words, began
answers. Most people engaged in such work are not
“banging up against barriers to break through
going to open up. Life can be that way. It can be
them.”
exceedingly unfair but still there is a distinctive grace
From Picasso’s Mademoiselles de Avignon to The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas, prostitution has forever
Consider two of the subjects whose portraits appear
repeatedly in the series: Juliette, a Haitian working on
86
to these women.”
Rue St. Denis in Paris, and Angelica, a Nicaraguan
When Delano started this project, he was coping with
working in Guatemala City. They do not speak the
his sister’s dying, a time when he welcomed taking
same language and work half way around the world
risks. He explains, “My only sister was ending her
© All pictures: James Whitlow Delano
from each other. But these two women, like many in
days in a brief battle with renal cancer that had struck
www.jameswhitlowdelano.com
Delano’s photographs, are single moms working to
out of the blue and she was being treated at a hos-
support their children. Juliette’s marriage to an
pice in San Diego. So, I guess I was agitated and felt
Agents
American man in Miami fell apart and left her with-
that taking chances might numb the pain a little of
USA
out financial recourse. Angelica takes clients to her
her tragedy. I had encountered “Paraditas” doing a
Redux Pictures
hotel room, walking past her son watching television
story along the Mexican border the year before and
http://reduxpictures.com
upstairs. Delano was allowed to spend time with
thought it was time to push through another barrier.
Italy
them and got a glimpse into their lives. His images
There was an area, Zona Norte, just across the border
Contrasto Photography Agency, Rome
convey a sympathetic message: They are doing the
in Tijuana, Mexico where prostitution was tolerated.
www.contrasto.it
best they can.
Women largely worked autonomously on the street.
086_091_JamesWhitlowDelano .indd 86
TexT by ClayTon Maxwell
26-5-10 14:10
© James Whitlow Delano
086_091_JamesWhitlowDelano .indd 87
26-5-10 14:10
© James Whitlow Delano
086_091_JamesWhitlowDelano .indd 88
26-5-10 14:10
© James Whitlow Delano
086_091_JamesWhitlowDelano .indd 89
26-5-10 14:11
© All pictures: by James Whitlow Delano
086_091_JamesWhitlowDelano .indd 90
26-5-10 14:11
© All pictures: by James Whitlow Delano
086_091_JamesWhitlowDelano .indd 91
26-5-10 14:11