Victims of Beauty This is Not Artwork

  I just read an article that talked about a fashion spread in a Bulgarian Magazine, the name of the photo shoot was titled “Victims of Beauty.” The 12 models were made up to look like they had been abused by a domestic partner. One had a black eye, one had a man’s hand around her neck, one had her throat slit, one had her nose cut, one had a busted lip , one had her face badly scarred. This was just a few of the faces of the models.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2158249/Campaigners-condemn-Vasil-Germanovs-grotesque-beauty-victim-photoshoot-perverse.html

  As a survivor of domestic abuse I found this photo shoot offensive and replusive. Unless on has been in that postion of being abused one has no idea the physical, emotional and mentaly anguish that being abused entails. It is not a game it is not glamourous. It is painful, humiliating and many times life ending. The scars that are left never go away.

  For some man to really believe that one could call this art tells me this man is really playing out his narcississtic and psychopathic persoanlity. Women do not feel beautiful with black eyes, bloody lips, broken bones, or slit throats. They feel anything but beautiful. In fact, they feel worthless, ugly and non existant. They have no self worth, no self confidence and so self esteem. Most of them feel like they would be better off dead and many wind up that way.

  For centuries women have fought for ability to live without the fear of abuse and this is setting us back hundreds of years.  The photos are disturbing to say the least, the posture of the models show that they were uncomfortable in that postion of having to wearing makeup protraying them as being abused. Maybe some of them were abused in real life and it hit a nerve.

  I believe in creative license, in expression of self and of free speech. However, I also believe that people should be free to express bad taste. This goes beyond bad taste, the revels the heart of who ever decided to make up these models in this horrific make up and call it “Victims of Beauty”. There is nothing beautiful about abuse.