73:, expecting to make "a perfect baby portrait." That soon changed. "My goal with the “Family Portrait” series was to break through the veneer of the Happy Family and the Content Mother and to expose the hidden and mundane events of family life: 5:00 AM feedings; toilet training; dirty dishes; messy rooms and messy relationships. To keep track of what was going on, I kept a daily journal.I soon began writing short autobiographical stories directly onto the photograph. These photographs were microcosmic of the Feminist reaction against the charade of the idyllic home life." The series includes portraits of her breastfeeding, being on the toilet with children hovering by, and on the floor watching television, noting she had three one-and-a-half periods a week "to do something creative."
33:(July 31, 1944 – March 14, 2020) was a multimedia American artist who explored the interplaybetween art, sociology, and psychology using image and text. Over a forty-year career, she worked in photography, film and video, installation, and artist’s books. Her photography is known for documenting family and domestic life, especially her own, with an ongoing witty and frank reckoning with traditional roles for women as daughter, wife, and mother. She moved beyond her own family as subject, culminating in the decade-long Fourth Grade Project, a portrait study of the lives of 300 children from around the world. Her incisive use of language overlaid on or under her images was a signature mark of her work.
92:
significantly subtle ways we are taught to be male and female in our culture." During this time, Gelles's art photographs appeared primarily in group exhibitions. She continued themes of gender roles and family dynamics in a video. “Life Is Like a Play”, a slice of life shot in the home movie genre, is a visual diary documenting the artist's life with the insider/outsider critical eye characteristic of all her work, while also examining the world in which she lives. It examines the issue of gender difference through the eyes of three generations; her parents, her sons, her husband, and herself. In 1997, she received a
Residency at the
159:
cultural backgrounds in China, Dubai, England, India, Israel, Italy, Nicaragua, St. Lucia, South Africa, South Korea, and parts of the United States. She asked three questions and took portraits of the back of each to protect their privacy. The large scale portraits integrate each child's answers as part of the text. Gelles believed this project could help expand understanding and build bridges around the world. The material developed into a curriculum project free for users under the aegis of
CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, and has an
107:, where she found expanded opportunities to display her work and extend the scope of her projects. From that time, her solo shows, grants, and awards increased. Now able to look beyond her immediate home, she explored family life more symbolically. During a trip to Australia, she photographed private family sheds on Brighton Beach as reflecting both the individuality and conformity of each. She also photographed her parents' Florida Trailer Park as a series of night studies. In a similar vein,
184:. In 2019, she became key care taker of her husband following his brain cancer diagnosis. She kept a Caring Bridge diary to document his condition and her own state of mind. March 13, 2020 was the opening day for a group exhibit at the Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia. Late that evening Gelles went to the hospital with a headache, and died within hours on March 14 of a brain aneurysm. Her husband Richard Gelles died three months later.
193:
women, but she approaches her subjects with warmth, humor, and consummate skill." Of her projects involving architectural structures, one gallery observed such "works take a similar taxonomic approach to understanding the politics of space, raising questions about the manner in which our quarters define, connect, and divide us."
45:, where she grew up. Her Jewish family was a rarity in the community. She graduated from Somersworth High at age 16. Growing up in the 1950s, she told an interviewer she had little exposure to art and culture, but was raised to focus on marriage and family. She graduated with a Bachelor in Science from
203:
Department of Fine Arts, calls Gelles' Florida family photos "an amazing body of work because you see the children grow up, you see the parents age, you see the grandparents age and die. She lived through the entirety of the second wave of feminism, and her work has been long caught in the nexus of
192:
The arc of Gelles's career, from personal to community, from solitary to cooperative, reveals her continued exploration of art for social purpose and personal inquiry.. As Ann Landi reflected, "Gelles has been around long enough to have lived through the many changes that have affected the lives of
76:
A woman's group motivated Gelles to see herself as an artist. "I took a
Sharpie pen and wrote right on the photographic paper," she said. "I was the member of a women's consciousness-raising group in the '70s and I had to decide whether I would further my career as an artist or stay as a guidance
171:
In addition to traveling widely to speak at screenings and exhibitions, Gelles also taught at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Tufts
University in Boston, Boston College, University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, and the International Center for
207:
Despite recognition later in her career, Gelles was aware of implicit sexist bias with regard to her emphasis on domestic life. She “felt like a lone wolf. At the time nobody wanted to show the work.” By the time of her death, her early work of her daily experience as a wife and mother became a
158:
and "Word
Portraits" including same-sex couples in 2008, an important year in the gay marriage debate. Based upon her projects with children, she conceived of the Fourth Grade Project. For ten years Gelles interviewed and photographed over 300 fourth grade students from a range of economic and
115:
in 2001. The subject was her father-in-law's WWII military keepsakes that revealed a Jewish-American's perspective on memory, on military service, and on family history. She also co-directed a film with
Marianne Bernstein, "From Philadelphia to the Front," focusing on six American veterans of
91:
pairs photos of herself and ones of son Jason, each from age six, to age eighteen. The triptych form, with interwoven text between the images, explores their widely contrasting experiences and self-images at each age. She explained, "Autobiographical stories display the subtly significant and
85:. When she first took her family to see her parents at their Florida mobile home park, she took a group portrait. This resulted in 23 images over the years they visited, ending in the year before her mother died.
135:, Gelles created the video of "Artists on Age," which is unique for its revealing only the moving of the speakers' lips. This project led to public art. For example, in a one day residency at Love Park in
112:
143:
asked 100 people to create a fingerprint and answer the four questions. The results were printed up and displayed as part of a sculpture called "Glass House" in
Philadelphia, as well as at the
352:
69:
Gelles did not foresee becoming an artist until 1977, when she started a diary about her life as a wife and young mother. She took a photography course at the
144:
242:
689:
140:
160:
531:
267:
471:
684:
77:
counselor and make money," she said. "The group encouraged me to go for it and become an artist." She then attended the
679:
620:
81:, where she expanded her photographic and video craft and completed her MFA in 1991. Another key project was the
124:
as enlisted men until they talked to Gelles. Distributed worldwide in 2005, it won awards at film festivals.
78:
674:
128:
204:
feminism, motherhood, finding a career, and developing as an artist. It's all about human relationships."
17:
150:
She responded to larger events into her work as well, such as portraits of urban Muslim women taken in
70:
42:
181:
172:
Photography in New York City. Her works were accessioned by museums around the country, including
552:
93:
330:
173:
371:
423:
669:
664:
132:
120:
who had never talked about their years of service and recounted their confrontations with
8:
50:
644:
200:
610:
616:
46:
517:
196:
97:
390:
353:"Judy Gelles of the Fourth Grade Project lands in the National Portrait Gallery"
311:
54:
243:"Judy S. Gelles, accomplished artist, photographer, and filmmaker, dies at 75"
658:
489:
121:
592:
452:
136:
104:
58:
208:
touchstone statement for contemporary considerations of women and family.
649:
409:
437:
49:
in 1965 to become a teacher. She received a MEd in
Counseling from the
574:
503:
292:
472:"Penn community expresses 'Hopes and Fears' in Annenberg exhibit"
268:"Artful humanism, a critical and personal tribute to Judy Gelles"
151:
553:"Richard Gelles, Scholar of Family Violence, is Dead at 73"
177:
155:
117:
57:, she had two children and was their primary caregiver in
536:
639:
650:Judy Gelles talk on Fourth Grade Project, 2-9-2017
645:Judy Gelles Tedtalk, What 4th Graders Can Teach Us
656:
532:"Grieving for my mother in the age of Covid-19"
113:National Museum of Jewish American History
265:
568:
566:
309:
490:"Background – The Fourth Grade Project"
14:
690:People from Somersworth, New Hampshire
657:
550:
407:
346:
344:
163:touring nationally from 2020 to 2025.
572:
563:
551:Seelye, Katharine Q. (25 July 2020).
350:
424:"From Philadelphia to the Front DVD"
53:in 1968. After marrying sociologist
341:
103:In 1998, Judy and Richard moved to
41:She was born Judith Sue Isacoff in
24:
469:
450:
440:. March 12, 2005 – via IMDb.
388:
369:
328:
310:Smithson, Aline (March 22, 2020).
290:
25:
701:
633:
573:Landi, Ann (September 18, 2017).
83:Florida Family Project, 1982-2014
615:. MIT Press. 14 September 2021.
438:"From Philadelphia to the Front"
408:Gelles, Judy (January 7, 2019).
266:Rosenberg, Martin (2020-04-22).
240:
223:"Florida Family Portrait," 2007.
139:on October 10, 2009, Gelles and
603:
585:
544:
524:
510:
496:
482:
463:
444:
430:
416:
187:
127:During a 1905 residency at the
401:
382:
363:
322:
303:
284:
259:
234:
13:
1:
227:
166:
79:Rhode Island School of Design
36:
331:"Family Portrait: 1977-1982"
211:
129:Atlantic Center for the Arts
96:, and in 1998 was awarded a
7:
351:Akman, Terri (2016-11-11).
27:American artist (1944–2020)
10:
706:
685:University of Miami alumni
147:, her longtime exhibitor.
71:University of Rhode Island
43:Somersworth, New Hampshire
372:"Florida Family Portrait"
357:The Philadelphia Inquirer
312:"Remembering Judy Gelles"
247:The Philadelphia Inquirer
217:"When We Were Ten", 1997.
64:
680:Boston University alumni
182:Skirball Cultural Center
94:Visual Studies Workshop
174:Brooklyn Museum of Art
410:"Life is Like a Play"
111:was exhibited at the
612:Designing Motherhood
220:"Beach Boxes", 2004.
133:New Smyrna Beach, FL
675:Sociologists of art
640:Judy Gelles website
426:. October 16, 2018.
51:University of Miami
557:The New York Times
412:– via Vimeo.
201:Rutgers University
145:Pentimenti Gallery
109:A Soldier's Story
47:Boston University
16:(Redirected from
697:
627:
626:
607:
601:
600:
589:
583:
582:
570:
561:
560:
548:
542:
541:
528:
522:
521:
514:
508:
507:
500:
494:
493:
486:
480:
479:
470:Brooks, Hayley.
467:
461:
460:
453:"Artists on Age"
448:
442:
441:
434:
428:
427:
420:
414:
413:
405:
399:
398:
386:
380:
379:
367:
361:
360:
348:
339:
338:
326:
320:
319:
307:
301:
300:
288:
282:
281:
279:
278:
263:
257:
256:
254:
253:
241:Cook, Bonnie L.
238:
197:Martin Rosenberg
98:MacDowell Colony
21:
705:
704:
700:
699:
698:
696:
695:
694:
655:
654:
636:
631:
630:
623:
609:
608:
604:
597:De Soto Gallery
591:
590:
586:
571:
564:
549:
545:
530:
529:
525:
516:
515:
511:
502:
501:
497:
488:
487:
483:
468:
464:
449:
445:
436:
435:
431:
422:
421:
417:
406:
402:
387:
383:
368:
364:
349:
342:
327:
323:
308:
304:
289:
285:
276:
274:
264:
260:
251:
249:
239:
235:
230:
214:
199:, chair of the
190:
169:
67:
39:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
703:
693:
692:
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
653:
652:
647:
642:
635:
634:External links
632:
629:
628:
621:
602:
584:
562:
543:
523:
509:
495:
481:
462:
451:Gelles, Judy.
443:
429:
415:
400:
389:Gelles, Judy.
381:
370:Gelles, Judy.
362:
340:
329:Gelles, Judy.
321:
302:
291:Gelles, Judy.
283:
258:
232:
231:
229:
226:
225:
224:
221:
218:
213:
210:
189:
186:
168:
165:
66:
63:
55:Richard Gelles
38:
35:
31:Judy S. Gelles
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
702:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
662:
660:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
637:
624:
622:9780262044899
618:
614:
613:
606:
598:
594:
593:"Judy Gelles"
588:
580:
576:
575:"Judy Gelles"
569:
567:
558:
554:
547:
539:
538:
533:
527:
519:
513:
505:
499:
491:
485:
477:
476:www.thedp.com
473:
466:
458:
454:
447:
439:
433:
425:
419:
411:
404:
396:
392:
385:
377:
373:
366:
358:
354:
347:
345:
336:
332:
325:
317:
313:
306:
298:
294:
287:
273:
269:
262:
248:
244:
237:
233:
222:
219:
216:
215:
209:
205:
202:
198:
194:
185:
183:
179:
175:
164:
162:
157:
153:
148:
146:
142:
141:Linda Brenner
138:
134:
130:
125:
123:
122:anti-Semitism
119:
114:
110:
106:
101:
99:
95:
90:
86:
84:
80:
74:
72:
62:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
34:
32:
19:
611:
605:
596:
587:
578:
556:
546:
535:
526:
512:
498:
484:
475:
465:
456:
446:
432:
418:
403:
394:
391:"Mother Son"
384:
375:
365:
356:
334:
324:
315:
305:
296:
286:
275:. Retrieved
271:
261:
250:. Retrieved
246:
236:
206:
195:
191:
188:Significance
170:
161:Exhibits USA
149:
137:Philadelphia
126:
108:
105:Philadelphia
102:
100:Fellowship.
88:
87:
82:
75:
68:
59:Kingston, RI
40:
30:
29:
670:2020 deaths
665:1944 births
457:Judy Gelles
395:Judy Gelles
376:Judy Gelles
335:Judy Gelles
297:Judy Gelles
18:Judy Gelles
659:Categories
316:Lenscratch
277:2020-09-02
252:2020-09-02
228:References
180:, and the
167:Later life
89:Mother Son
37:Early life
518:"Richard"
212:Art Books
579:Vasari21
504:"Resume"
293:"Resume"
272:Artblog
619:
154:after
65:Career
152:Cairo
617:ISBN
178:MOMA
156:9/11
118:WWII
537:CNN
661::
595:.
577:.
565:^
555:.
534:.
474:.
455:.
393:.
374:.
355:.
343:^
333:.
314:.
295:.
270:.
245:.
176:,
131:,
61:.
625:.
599:.
581:.
559:.
540:.
520:.
506:.
492:.
478:.
459:.
397:.
378:.
359:.
337:.
318:.
299:.
280:.
255:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.