Property of Jo Spence?

[1982]

1 photograph : black and white print ; sheet 40.4 x 30.4 cm

Jo Spence (1934 - 1992) started as a commercial photographer, from the 1970s she moved to critical documentary photography. In 1974 she met her long-term collaborator, Terry Dennett, with whom she established the Photography Workshop Ltd. Her work was both politically aware and personal, considering social issues, sexuality, power and health. She worked collaboratively throughout her career, in the 1970s and early 80s with the Hackney Flashers and Polysnappers, and in 1984, she developed Photo-therapy with Rosy Martin. Diagnosed with cancer in 1982 much of her subsequent work reflected her experiences, including the A picture of health? series (1982-86). In 1990 she was diagnosed with leukemia, and The final project work was a response to this. She wrote extensively, and in 1984 published Putting myself in the picture.

Jo Spence. 1982. Property of Jo Spence? [Photograph]. Wellcome Collection: Library no. 3049393i

Reproduced in Spence, J. (1988). Putting myself in the picture, page 157.

Spence, J. (2005). Jo Spence: beyond the perfect image. photography, subjectivity, antagonism. Barcelona: Museu dArt Contemporani de Barcelona, page 270.

Created in collaboration with Terry Dennett.

Exhibited in "Misbehaving Bodies", Wellcome Collection, 30 May 2019 - 26 January 2020

Title taken from text in photograph.

The image was included in 'A picture of health?' project (1982-86).

Former Richard Saltoun stock codes: JOS1314 & JOS088.

Purchased by Wellcome Collection in 2016 from the Estate of Jo Spence.