#WHAT WE SEE
#WhatWeSee is a compilation of portraits I have taken of strangers, acquaintances, friends, family, and lovers throughout the years.
This project evolved as I saw the need for us (myself included) to celebrate ourselves. Our bodies, faces, feelings, dreams. All of us, including our imperfections and insecurities, but also our courage, laughter, and beauty. What makes us proud. What makes us sexy. What makes us feel alive.
In a world of hashtags, it is easy to assign each other labels and categories that limit what we see. Not only do we self-censor, but now social media websites are doing it for us by eliminating certain hashtags.
Although we form distinct communities based on shared beliefs, fundamentally we are all the same flesh and bone. In this series, I aim to show the humanity that unites us, emotions that transcend time, and ambitions that are universal, regardless of race, gender identity, age, or ethnicity.
My hope is that #WhatWeSee can bring us together. Portraits help us honor and remember ourselves. Never stop looking. Never stop seeing.
HISTORY
#WhatWeSee is a ongoing photo portrait series started by Max Woltman over ten years ago. People of all ages, ethnicities, and gender identities have participated in this celebration of body positivity and self expression. Most recently, the project has highlighted the local LGBTIQ+ community and its allies.
Over seventy of these portraits were printed and displayed at an inaugural #WhatWeSee exhib
Max was named a City of Albuquerque Resiliency Residency artist and received funding through Albuquerque’s Urban Enhancement Trust Fund to further develop the #WhatWeSee project. In 2023, Max displayed additional portraits from the series at Tortuga Gallery.
Max was also invited to be part of the Resiliency Exhibition and Showcase at the South Broadway Cultural Center.
