Laid bare
Emmie America, who is a London based Russian photographer, supported feminist illustrator Yucaipa Tsvetkova through photography. Tsvetkova was accused of spreading “homosexual propaganda” and “producing pornographers materials” through her cartoons on her social media accounts, and as a result was arrested and put on trial in Russia. To show her support and solidarity with Tsvetkova, Emmie decided to publish a photoshoot containing more than 50 images of nude women. These women were photographed nude in a non sexual way to bring attention to Tsvetkova’s case. Emmie’s photoshoot was also part of an instagram flashmob, were other women posted non sexual nude photos as a a show of support for Tsvetkova.
I chose this project as I admired how so many women united together to support a woman they didn’t even know. I loved the way Emmie portrayed the different kinds of female bodies in her shoot, showing that women come in all different shapes and sizes and all are extremely beautiful.
Post-Turism
Ada Zielińska is a polish artist who is known for photographing destruction and chaos. She would travel the world and chase after wildfires, in places such as California and Australia, for her project Post-Turism. Her work brings awareness to the climate crisis going on in the world right now. While showing us the devastation caused by these wildfires, she also shows us how humans can find beauty in destruction. Her photography is almost like a guilty pleasure, as we shouldn’t find these devastating fires beautiful and intriguing but we do.
I really admired how Zielińska managed to capture something so horrific yet captivating at the same time. It made me yearn for more of this beautiful destruction while also wanting it to end. I found it interesting how the human desire craves for this destruction despite what it’s turning our word into. Without destruction there can’t be creation and I find that concept extremely fascinating.
Makeup is both armour and a weapon
Photographer Miliyollie and Make up artist Sasha volkova teamed up to celebrate the queer youth of Russia, a vulnerable group of people who use make up to rebel against the status quo. In conservative Russia the beauty standards are very old fashioned, men should appear masculine and women should appear feminine. These beauty standards make it difficult for queer people to express themselves, fit in or simply exist in society. Makeup challenges these outdated gender norms and allows the queer community to free themselves and explore their identity. Makeup can be used to reveal not just their feminine side but also their masculine side, which contradicts these societal norms. A persons gender should not have to correspond with what make up they can and cannot wear. Miliyollie’s photos highlight how make up can be used as a catalyst for self confidence while also being used as a tool for standing up against an oppressive patriarchal society.
I was drawn to this project and the more I looked into it the more I connected with it. As someone who is very passionate about makeup, I can relate to the struggles and expectations involved with wearing makeup. Society tries to confine you into a box, limiting how you express and free yourself. Makeup is a way of escaping this box and allowing yourself to explore your identity to the fullest. This is what I love about makeup, as there’s no rules or limits to it. As a queer person myself, makeup is a huge outlet for me and I definitely see it as my armor and my weapon.
Lisa Burke CM122 