Designing Violence against Women »
Recently I was browsing Behance and came across a photo shoot which I felt challenged my morals. Whilst I am not doubting the capabilities of the photographer and models, the subject matter seems questionable to me. Its aim is to raise awareness for violence against women – a sensitive subject worldwide, and one that ought to be handled with tact by even the most flamboyant creatives.
However, unlike the raw qualities of the brutal advert where Keira Knightly is beaten or the self-portrait of Nan Goldin showcasing the heavy bruising and swelling on her face, these images seem to portray domestic abuse in another light. The highly polished models wear their bruises like fashion statements and carry an expression which shows them in a state of empowerment and ecstasy. The aftermath of harm against women suddenly appears disturbingly positive.
Cultures which grant women equal rights teach that violence against women is evil and punishable by law (speaking figuratively for the sake of argument). Knowing that domestic abuse is wrong, do these images begin to transform the image of victim in a manner which empowers them instead of granting that power to the abuser? These women may be beaten, but they own the experience by being beautiful and emotionally complex beyond the stigma of being a victim.
It’s a similar notion to that of a controversial t-shirt I saw a while back. On it is an open safe with a small message – “I was raped”. Despite the implications of wearing the t-shirt (the casual medium, social consequence, etc) its message is clear enough. The dirty aspect of rape is given a new face – that of the unashamed survivor. Abused women are invited to claim back the experience and take control of an issue which is often credited to the criminal.
But even then there are problems. When an audience sees a confident survivor as opposed to a defeated victim, they assume their experience is somehow less valid. Less traumatic. Perhaps deserved or even enjoyable. If these women are capable of owning their experiences of abuse, then why weren’t they capable of preventing them? Why don’t they walk away from their abusers? Why do they need our help in relieving their situation?
With glamorous make-up and exotic expressions it’s harder to see the indent of a fist. In these photographs we see women who have made the effort to hide their pain. It’s not empowerment; it’s a mask which undermines the abuse they’ve been through and strengthens the taboo which stops so many of them from seeking help. It may not promote violence against women, but it promotes hiding it under exquisitely applied make-up.
Even so, it’s difficult for me to maintain any one opinion. The variations of abuse depicted in visual culture are as varied as those felt by victims of abuse. Even though I’m inclined to believe that certain discretions breed unnecessary taboo, I also do not feel capable speaking on behalf of abused women. How do you feel violence against women should be portrayed? Do you feel inclined to empathise with the story of the victim or the survivor? Are we desensitized by insensitive designs of domestic abuse?