Photographer Anthony Kurtz’s mind-blowing account of the lives of female auto mechanics in Senegal is a visually stunning endeavor. His subjects stand poised, contemplative, and self-assured against a backdrop of crumpled metal, tires, and auto parts.
The images seem to tell half-woven stories; while the viewer is free to piece the rest of the story together through sheer imagination and wonderment. For example, one wonders how the women – whom Kurtz describes as “resilient” and resolved – came to acquire this particular trade; and how they fare as challengers and competitors among their male counterparts.
Kurtz’s series entitled “No Man’s Job” is a powerful homage both to the importance of work, and the dignity and power of choice. But even more so, it’s a nod to the astonishingly refreshing transformation of gender roles that’s slowly but firmly taking root on the continent and beyond.
The images are retouched with a bronzed hue that adds a surprising element of elegance to an otherwise rugged mise-en-scène – capturing both space and depth.
If the intention is to glorify and elevate these women as self-determined agents, skilled artisans, norm-changers, and pioneers – then Kurtz’s ambitious and triumphant project unequivocally succeeds.
Read more about the artist and see the full gallery here.
These images are AB-SOL-LUTELY stunning! Amazing how much hope they give me. And how tough and “cool” the women all look. Way cool.