Lee Miller: From Fashion Model to War Photographer

Lee Miller was an American photographer who challenged her contemporary ideas of gender, beauty or age. Often recognized as  a model and a "muse" to several great artists, including Picasso, Man Ray, and Jean Cocteau, Miller was a fiercely independent artist, photographer, actor and one of a very few war correspondents credentialed during WWII. Almost forgotten for many years and overshadowed by male artists, her work has currently begun to get due recognition. 

This illustrated slide presentation by speaker Joanna Madloch covers Lee Miller's biography, from her unconventional childhood and youth to her unorthodox marriage and family relation, however it concentrates mostly on her development as a photographer who confronted both societal and artistic norms of her time. Madloch’s visual presentation of Miller's work offers the participants a comprehensive review of the photographer's style and achievements. 

The talk  pays special attention to the discovery of Miller's work and her transformation into a popular icon, a character featured in historical fiction, and even a heroine of a musical. The movie titled Lee, directed by Ellen Kuras and starring Kate Winslet as Lee Miller and based on the book The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose is set to premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023.

Joanna Madloch is a photographer and a philologist. She holds a PhD in humanities from University of Silesia in Poland and taught literature and photography both in the US and in Poland.  She specializes in street photography and in her work she explores the notion of the border and the act of its crossing. She has exhibited her work in America, Europe, and Australia, has published over 30 academic articles and is working on a manuscript about the image of the photographer in literature.  

This program is made possible with the support of The Friends of the Livingston Public Library.