The Domestic Stage: When Fashion Image Comes Home by British writer and curator Adam Murray examines the ways that photography has used domestic interiors as a backdrop for a new kind of fashion image that is both personal and contemporary. The book’s cover perfectly captures its essence. At first glance, it’s a minimal black-and-white photograph of two people—a young Black man and an older Black woman—looking into a mirror that’s set on a table. But to those with an awareness of contemporary art, this 2024 photograph by Carrie Mae Weems is clearly a reference to Weems’ iconic Kitchen Table Series from 1990. And to those with an awareness of contemporary music, the young man seated at Weems’ kitchen table is rapper and actor A$AP Rocky. The portrait was part of a campaign commissioned by fashion brand Bottega Veneta, and the book’s subtitle, “When Fashion Image Comes Home,” further points to its relation to the fashion world. But this book is far from a surface-level exploration of branding or style; it is deeply rooted in contemporary art history. In addition to the section on Weems, The Domestic Stage includes works from 21 other established and emerging photographers who approach fashion less like industry giant Annie Leibovitz and more like transgressive queen Nan Goldin. British photographer Jesse Glazzard’s work includes a deadpan portrait of people wearing paper KFC-branded Pepsi cups as shoes and a cardboard egg carton wrapped to their heads with cellophane. The book is organized into thoughtful themes like “Performance and Control” and “The Imagined Home.” Many of the photographers featured also took part in interviews, here presented as Q&As interspersed with vividly printed images. This format fosters a more direct connection between readers and subjects; for instance, when asked the open-ended question “What significance does domestic space have in your work?” Clifford Prince King, who is known for his photographs of young Black men, responds with a disarming vulnerability: “In interiors, I feel like you’re able to be yourself a lot more. Especially queer, gay identity, you’re not necessarily expressing outdoors because the outdoors aren’t necessarily a safe space. So most interactions and connections are made inside.” This book takes fashion and representation seriously and is a must-read for anyone interested in the many ways contemporary photography can influence culture.
