Radicals & Revolutionaries Lab

This week's radical is Jade Beall, a Tuscon-based portrait photographer whose photos challenge notions of what a woman's body should or shouldn't be. Her projects center mothers, breast-feeding, and the beauty of aging in ways that defy the male gaze and strive for truthful portrayals over conforming to oppressive standards.Our conversation traces Jade's journey from growing up in Mexico, her beginnings in photography, the projects that changed the course of her career forever, and the controversy around portraying natural bodies.Some Questions I Ask:What can you tell us about your project Wise Bodies, Beautiful Elders? (0:49)Where did it all begin for you? (3:31)How did you happen upon photography? (6:59)How did you move from photographing yourself breastfeeding, to photographing others? (13:01)Do the men in your photographs also struggle with being bare? (24:23)What photographs or subjects were the more meaningful to you? (27:30)Some Questions I Ask:Why Jade sees being bare as the truest expression of self