Ep 33: Flo Fox (Photographer/Designer/Activist)
Ep 33: Flo Fox (Photographer/Designer/Activist)
Flo Fox began her career as a photographer in New York City in 1972.
For the better part of her career, Flo Fox has been legally blind, as a result of multiple sclerosis that she contracted when she was thirty. She is Totally disabled from the neck down and has been confined to a wheelchair since 1999, Flo now shoots with an automatic camera and directs friends, attendants or people in the street to take pictures for her.
Throughout her career and with an archive of over 130,000 works, Flo photographed various subjects that chronicled the rich ironies of street life in New York City. Flo Fox’s work is in the permanent collection of Brooklyn Museum and the Smithsonian. Flo Fox has also been interviewed on several talks shows including Regis and Kathy Lee and Tom Snyder. During the early 80s she hosted her own show called the Foto Flo Show, interviewing other photographers such as Ruth Orkin and Ralph Gibson on their work and their creative methods. Riley Hooper made a short documentary film, FLO which was featured in The New York Times in 2013. Flo Fox is an advocate for the disabled and has taught photography class for the blind and visually impaired students at the Lighthouse for the Blind. Despite blindness, multiple sclerosis, and lung cancer, photographer Flo Fox continues to shoot the streets of New York City and never goes anywhere without her camera.
Flo Fox is the coolest person, artist, photographer, activist, designer you probably have never heard of. We talk about her early career making costumes for Broadway productions in the 1970's including "A Chorus Line". We talk about her Dicthology Project in which between the 1970's and 1990's she took creative Polaroids (with film Polaroid gave her) of penises all the men who entered her apartment over 23 years. (Vintage Annals will be putting out this book by late September) I want to be clear that neither Flo nor I want anyone to think her life, or this episode, is meant to be Inspiration Porn in any way. Flo would be ok with the porn part as she has always been a sex positive photographer and artist, and even did a Playboy shoot in 1976 that she designed and photographed. Flo has also been an activist and fought for the rights of disabled people for years. Lastly she is one of the funniest, and at times, raunchiest 77 year old jewish females I have ever met, which is also why I enjoy interviewing her for this episode, and why I am working with her now. When Flo is out taking photos with an assistant and when she needs the lens to zoom, she asks her assistant to give it a hard on. Please enjoy.
I want to thank Karen Gottfired to connecting me to Flo when I was looking for folks to interview about Arlene's work.
I want to thank Gigi at 2 by 2 media for committing to support their work at twobytwomedia. They will be
putting out zines and books of Flo's work.
I want to thank Flo herself for working on this with me.
For more info on Flo Fox
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/flo-fox-69-project.html
Flo Fox's Youtube Page
VAA Sponsored Flo Fox's 69 Fotos Instagram Page and Website
https://www.instagram.com/flofox69fotos/
www.vintageannalsarchive.com/flo-fox-69-project.html
Two by Two Media Instagram and Website
www.instagram.com/twobytwomedia/
www.twobytwomedia.org/flo-fox/
Songs used
Richie by BJ Snowden
https://bjsnowdenmusic.com/
I Never Feel Alone (Instrumental)
There Was a Light (Instrumental)
https://www.stephenbluhm.fun/
Vintage Annals Arcvie Website
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/
Please support this project at Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/VintageAnnalsArchive
https://www.instagram.com/vintageannalsarchive/
Interviewed and edited by Richie Wexler
Sponsor
For info on Risk Podcast
https://www.risk-show.com
Info on Kevin's coaching and such
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