Photographer Lucy Hilmer bears (almost) all in her series Birthday Suits, one pair of white underwear at a time. In each image, the artist stands before the camera once a year for her birthday, and has been doing so since 1974. Armed with socks, shoes and underwear, the photographer changes in every photo, sometimes smiling, sometimes serious, but always strong. The series stands as a reflection of Hilmer’s life, with her husband and daughter (now 27) appearing in one of the annual photos every now and again. In an artist statement for the series, Hilmer says:
For 40 years, I’ve photographed myself on my birthday wearing nothing but my white Lollipop underpants, shoes and socks. I made my first Birthday Suit self-portrait in Death Valley, CA in 1974. Without fail, I’ve faced my camera every April 22nd since then to create a coded history of one woman’s journey through time. As a girl-child of the 1950s, I came of age before women’s lib, and wanted to buck the stereotypes of a culture that branded me a pretty girl, thin enough to be a fashion model and not much more. Armed with my camera and tripod, I found a way to define myself on my own terms in the most open, vulnerable way I could. My long-term project will continue for as long as I live. In 2015, I turn 70. I’m currently working on a book & film about my Birthday Suits.
See a few images from the series below, and check out the rest of her work here.
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