Susan Meiselas is based on an essential notion in the field of photo reportage: the return. This central notion, to which the notion of time is underlying, has two meanings. When she captures images, she then tries to give a picture to the protagonists. This restitution of the images taken from the participants, whether voluntary or not, can take place shortly after the photographic act or ten years later. This form of reappropriation of the photo makes Susan Meiselas unique in the landscape of photoreporters. Thus, his work is observed over time, it is not simply an instant vision, but rather the work of time on this vision.

Carnival Strippers brought international fame to Susan Meiselas. Her first major photography project, she had been working for Magnum Photos since 1976. She has just been awarded the prestigious Deutsche Börse Prize. While still a teacher in New York’s public schools, she spent several summers at fairs and carnivals in New England, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina in the early 1970s. She photographed and interviewed the women who were performing as strippers, taking a documentary approach. For many of the subjects, it was precisely this profession that had enabled them to lead an autonomous and independent life.