Human Figures, Fans, Masks and Parasols
Merry used models in staged and spontaneous shoots. These negatives were combined in the darkroom using complex techniques similar to photoshop layers. Had she lived longer, Merry would have enjoyed digital editing. But it is difficult to imagine her work without seeing the physical prints and hand made photographs. Realism and women re-imagined are major themes. Recognizable human figures prevailed along with clever abstractions in works such as Bésame Mucho. Fans, mask and parasols were part of the feminine mystique that is central to Merry's work. "I am woman, watch me roar" ( credit to Helen Reddy) was an important concept for Merry and a whole generation.