LEAH SCHRAGER: THE EVOLUTION OF SELFIE FEMINISM

Instagram has influenced Leah Schrager's artistic practice, merging photography and performance art through projects like NAKED THERAPY and her signature series, INFINITY SELFIE, which allows her to share nude images by repeating them. Despite gaining around 3 million followers, she found that her success on Instagram hindered attention for her music projects, particularly due to a predominantly male audience. This led her to collaborate on a female-friendly project called MAN HANDS, which explored celebrity culture over two years. However, the project was interrupted by COVID-19, leaving her feeling that she still has work to share to complete that narrative. Leah Schrager discusses the complexities surrounding women's images once they are published, noting that they can go viral, be censored, or provoke a range of reactions. She expresses a more accepting attitude towards these challenges, recognizing that change takes time and emphasizing her role as a voice in the conversation. In her work ALIGNED WITH THE UNIVERSE, she embraces imperfections from AI generation, seeing them as markers of time and symbols of authenticity. Living remotely in the Sonoran Desert has increased her appreciation for online connection, motivating her to engage with the community through releasing her work as NFTs. In conversation with Anika Meier, Leah Schrager discusses censorship on Instagram, the evolution of selfie feminism, and how working with AI has changed her artistic practice.