Women Of A New Tribe

Women Of A New Tribe
Jerry Taliaferro
Jerry Taliaferro
ISBN 978-0-9797309-0-0
Non-Fiction, Photographic
Reviewed by Frederick Noronha

At the start itself, the book explains its inspiration and purpose: "The Women Of A New Tribe project is a homage to the physical and spiritual beauty of the black women we see everyday. It is an attempt to see in a new light and in a new way an incredible group of women.... This book is more than a collection of photographs, it is an experience."
That said, the 208, large-size, printed in South Korea book, is a striking work. Says Taliaferro: "The journey to this book has also been my journey to learning how to "see" beauty."
He makes the point that until relatively recently, very little attention has been paid to the beauty of black women. Or, "the black woman was almost invisible".
Very true.
Striking images, all in black-and-white, follow on his pages. One just can't help admiring them.
In many a way, this book opens one's eyes. To the reality that beauty comes in many forms, that it is shaped by our perception and our bias, and sometimes we just fail to see it when we encounter it.
The portraits are technically and aesthetically pleasing.
In brief, unobstrusive captions, the reader is told who these women are -- their name, and work description.
Of course in the contemporary world age holds out its charm. To be "beautiful", or so goes contemporary wisdom, is to be 25 (or less). So being biased in favour of the younger faces featured here is, perhaps, understandable. But what's amazing is the quiet dignity and inner-beauty that the photographer evokes while depicting the New World Afro women of advancing years too.
Charlotte, NC-based Jerry Taliaferro's own story is interesting.
Born in Brownsville, Tennessee, he joined the Army in 1972. His interest in photography showed up only in 1981. While serving in Germany, this interest grew, and he was published in a Munich magazine. Back home, he left the military in 1988 to pursue a career in commercial photography.
Says the promotion for this book: "These images is based upon a traveling exhibition of the same name which premiered in Charlotte, NC in June 2002. This ongoing project is a photographic study of the spiritual and physical beauty of the black women that inhabit our everyday lives. It is an attempt to see in a new light and a new way the beauty of a largely unnoticed group of women."
Visit this nice website at http://www.blackartphotoart.com/
His talent shows. This work gave me some ideas on B&W portrait photography. I must say I 'read' the e-version of the book while reviewing it, which was a treat all the same.