Miss | Kollektivnye

Beauty Pageants are an odd occurrence in the eyes of many, events that have become synonymous with their competitors’ search for perfection and the seeming reality that the nature of this quest leaves many feeling like they have fallen short. In this respect, perfection is a frightfully troublesome concept with regard to physical appearance, the definition of it in an almost perpetual state of flux across time and cultures. Perhaps it is for this reason that the beauty pageant world doesn’t get looked on too favourably from outside as the image of perfection that it promotes seems a pastiche almost, of some real concept of beauty that has long since been forgotten. This Baudrillard-esque simulacrum, it could be argued is no more or less disingenuous than the fashion industry at large as it is responsible for the manufactured concept of beauty that is often cited as comparison to that of the pageants. However, while there will always be those who are somewhat mystified by and choose not to align themselves with various fashions, there remains a sense of further detachment with regards to pageants, one that only makes them all the more fascinating from a voyeuristic standpoint.

Jenn Ackerman’s series ‘Miss’ offers a pictorial insight into the upper echelons of this domain that provides as immersed a perspective as an outsider could ever hope to obtain. Ackerman describes the project as “looking through the lens of fascination, respect, awe and sadness” into a world which, on the evidence she presents seems to expose those at its epicentre to the extremes of each of those human emotions. In a game where the projection of this rehearsed and polished image of perfection is forever balanced on a knife’s edge, the slightest nerve induced mistake liable to bring the entire charade crashing down, Ackerman’s backstage view shows us the other side of the story. The understandable frailties of these young women whose participation in these ‘events’ places them under quite phenomenal pressure, make for moving and personal images. Ackerman expertly captures the moments where competitors crumble or where they take one last deep breath before playing out the obsessively rehearsed act that carries so much importance for them.

It is in these moments that behind the façade of the spectacle, we are forced to consider the conceptual underpinning to the industry, rather than just viewing these events as a hilariously ‘American’ phenomenon as is stereotype. The weight of expectation put on these young women by those around them and more importantly themselves is painfully visible at times but the photographer is not content to simply glorify this aspect of the pageants, she also presents us with the show. If it were all doom and gloom like my narrative thus far has suggested then, of course, no one would bother putting themselves through all of the rigmarole (well, some might). But with these competitions comes the thrill of success and the guarantee of attention, adulation at some points seeming so close that it can almost be grasped.

Naturally, in an environment like this a careful balance between camaraderie and competitiveness are key to getting ahead whilst maintaining a degree of sanity and these things are also captured perfectly in Ackerman as we see images of the competitors making their play to stand out from the pack. The existence of these pageants understandably irks some, as their brashly sexualised and exploitive nature is unapologetic and counter to attempts at establishing a truly equal society, as a character study however, ‘Miss’ is difficult to ignore.

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

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Jenn Ackerman ©

direct lender payday loans

Jenn Ackerman ©

direct lender payday loans

Jenn Ackerman ©

direct lender payday loans

Jenn Ackerman ©

direct lender payday loans

Jenn Ackerman ©

direct lender payday loans

The backdrops for the photographs include good ol’ Las Vegas, one of many places in the western world where moralistic sensibilities take something of a back seat to flamboyant excess and celebration of material trophies. It is a fitting setting for this world where the aspirations of those taking part are centred around a concept of beauty so wrapped up in material concepts that any true beauty seems not only irrelevant but long lost.

Ackerman has a lot more to her repertoire than photographs of bikini clad, surgically tweaked young women with her ‘Trapped’ series existing as a chilling account of American prison facilities for the mentally ill which is very much worth the time to check out. It can be found along with other projects here

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