Sunday Feature- Kate Wilhelm

Honestly.  Roller derby, motherhood, feminism... how could you possibly go wrong?  I saw Kate Wilhelm's portfolio and I was instantly drawn to it.  Obviously the photographs attract me partly because they reflect my own life and my own interests.  Each photograph depicts a woman decked in derby gear but set in her own home environment.  

Baroness Von Spike

I love the contrast of the derby women with their domestic scenes.  I love the juxtapostion of the derby gear with the softer qualities of home life.  I think these are actually a fascinating exploration of women- the complexity of what makes us female.  The most classic is the one below, which mimics the classic Madonna and Child theme but with derby gear and skates.  I love the contrast of hard and soft- the hard gear with soft breasts and soft babies.  I think it says a lot about who we are as women, the different aspects and contradictions of what makes us female.

Blister Sister and Scarlet

Teargas Tamara with Jala, Eshe, Marco and Kez

These two remind me of classic family portrait paintings, especially the one below.  The family is pictured in their environment, stoic looks on their faces, and the incongruity of derby skates and coloured, dreaded hair.  I think it's wonderful.

Inna'Goddess Da-Vida with Simon, Bert and Levi

"Derby throws any notions of femininity in your face.  Yet many derby girls are mothers, (perhaps the ultimate "feminine" vocation), and the bouts are extremely family friendly.  Immediately I wanted to get to know more about the women behind the derby personas.  So, I invited myself into their homes, their private domestic spaces, the arena that is historically and culturally seen as women's space.  I want the apparent incongruity of a derby girl in a domestic setting to cause the viewer to think about that incongruity and wonder if it is perhaps nothing more than a construct." -Kate Wilhelm

Spunky Rooster and Jamie