Naomi Harris
Naomi Harris (born May 26, 1973 in Toronto, Canada) is a Canadian photographer living in New York. After completing her Bachelor in Fine Arts from York University, Toronto, she moved to New York where she received her photographic training at New York’s International Center of Photography.
She moved to Miami Beach in December 1999 to begin her first personal project documenting the last hotel in South Beach that catered to senior citizens. The project, called “Haddon Hall Hotel ” received The International Prize for Young Photojournalism presented by Agfa and Das Bildforum in Germany in 2001
While living in Miami, she would frequent a nude beach where she began photographing fellow sun worshipers. Shortly thereafter she learned that many of the other beach goers were also swingers. After attending a party she decided she had to photograph this subculture.
Upon returning to New York in April 2002 she began researching the lifestyle and did her first swinger shoot in July 2003 in Black River Falls, WI. This was to be the first of over 38 parties she would photograph in 48 months all over the US.
The project was realized in America Swings, her first monograph published by Taschen in October 2008. It was edited by Dian Hanson and includes an interview by artist Richard Prince who sought out Harris after seeing her work in Taschen’s The New Erotic Photography.[1]
The trade edition of America Swings was released by Taschen in August 2010.
Current projects
In May 2010 Harris received a Canada Council for the Arts Grant to do a road trip across Canada along the Trans-Canada Highway and document the crossing and the people she meets. She will begin this journey on May 23, 2011(Victoria Day) in Victoria, British Columbia and end the trip in St.Johns Newfoundland on September 5, 2011(Labour Day).
She has been published in the New York Times Magazine as well as the London Sunday Times Magazine, The Telegraph Magazine, Marie Claire UK, and Newsweek, and she likes to knit, sing karaoke, and frequent nude beaches.
Harris currently is working as a teacher at her alma mater, The International Center of Photography.
Bibliography
• America Swings (trade edition). By Naomi Harris. Ed. Dian Hanson, (2010, Taschen; ISBN 978-3-8365-2228-1)
• America Swings (limited edition/artist edition). By Naomi Harris. Ed. Dian Hanson, (2008, Taschen; ISBN 978-3-8365-0214-6)
• Image Makers, Image Takers. By Anne-Celine Jaeger.(2007, Thames & Hudson; ISBN 978-0500286623 )
• The New Erotic Photography. Ed. Dian Hanson and Eric Kroll (2007, Taschen; ISBN 978-3-8228-4924-8)
Grants and awards
2010 - Recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts Project Grant
2004 - Represented Canada at the World Press Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam
2002 - One of the “30 Emerging Photographers To Watch” as selected by Photo District News
2001 - Winner of the International Prize for Young Photojournalism presented by Agfa and Das Bildforum, Germany
Finalist for the Eugene Smith Award
Honorable Mention for Yann Geffroy Award presented by Grazia Neri Agency, Italy
1999 - Eddie Adams Workshop participant
References
- ↑ Neil, Jonathan T.D. Those Fucking Americans”, ‘Art Review”, September 2008: pages 86-89. Retrieved on 2010-08-15.
External links
- Naomi Harris’s website Unusable without Flash.
- America Swings Book website