Rabu, 13 Juni 2012

Campaigners condemn Vasil Germanov's grotesque 'beauty victim' photoshoot as 'perverse'

Campaigners condemn Vasil Germanov's grotesque 'beauty victim' photoshoot as 'perverse'

By Emma Reynolds

PUBLISHED: 10:31 EST, 12 June 2012 | UPDATED: 01:48 EST, 13 June 2012

These are the shockingly brutal images of inured women used in a fashion magazine's photoshoot about beauty.

The disturbing pictures published as part of a fashion spread in Bulgarian magazine 12 have been condemned as 'perverse' and 'troubling' by domestic violence charity workers.

Entitled Victim of Beauty, the shoot by photographer Vasil Germanov shows six beautiful models with black eyes, viciously torn out piercings and sickening burns.

Battered beauties: The spread in Bulgarian magazine 12 shows attractive women disfigured by brutal injuries

Battered beauties: The spread in Bulgarian magazine 12 shows attractive women disfigured by brutal injuries

Image from Bulgarian fashion magazine 12 Model in Capasca

Shocking: Carefully made-up models are made to look as though they have been attacked with sharp implements and had piercings ripped from their ears and noses

One graphic photo shows a glamorous, smokey-eyed woman with her throat slashed while the following picture is of another woman with her mouth cut into a bleeding smile.

The special-effects make-up is by Daniela Avramova, while the 'beauty make-up' and hair are by Slav for Max Factor.

Alison Meldrum, from anti-domestic violence charity Standing Together, said: 'Given that violence is already skyrocketing in teen relationships, this kind of perversity masquerading as "art" is very troubling.'

Each model looks impeccable apart from her injuries, with one wearing Valentino dress and Galdini earrings, the next three in HM shirts and the final two wearing outfits by Bulgarian label Capasca.

The magazine's website, which is not restricted, displays the following warning under the first image, which appears on its homepage: 'Recommended Parental Controls: pictures are not recommended for persons under 16 years. And for the faint hearted.'

Acid burn Throat cut

Troubling: The shots include women looking as if they have been burned with acid or had their throat cut

'Appalling': Perhaps the most distressing image shows a woman with her mouth cut into a wide smile

'Appalling': Perhaps the most distressing image shows a woman with her mouth cut into a wide smile

One user wrote underneath: 'To me this is amazing!! While some may think that this glamorizes violence, I think it makes you think outside of the square to what the photographer was trying to depict. To me it says while a woman can be scarred, she can in fact still be beautiful.'

But others claim the spread merely builds on a disturbingly vast history of mutilated women in fashion shoots.

In the late 1980s, many adverts featured women who were abused, bound and gagged, or tied up in body bags and stuffed in bis.

Model Jenna Sauers called the spread 'appalling' in a comment piece in Jezebel.com.

Referencing a long tradition for violent imagery such as a Jerry Hall shoot by Helmut Newton, she said: 'Much of the imagery the fashion industry uses to communicate its messages at best ech oes and at worst reinforces some of the wider culture's most negative ideas about women and girls.'

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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To be honest I didn't associate these pictures with domestic violence, I thought they were meant to be emphasising the violence and harm women do to themselves for the sake of fashion. I assumed they were meant to portray more physical manifestations of the way women harm themselves to look 'good', like starving themselves, surgery, facial peels etc. You know, like for all the harm and pain these people are purposely inflicting on themselves they may as well have a black eye or a cut face. They are disturbing pictures but I found them effective to send that message across, I don't think they are supposed to be implying that injuries are 'chic'.

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This really is pathetic. I have more hatred for the vacuous, ridiculous fashion world every day.

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So sick! There is no more class photography, the other time the stupid girl burning birkin bag, here models photographed as beaten- are they trying to pave the road to have abuse accepted as part of the normal life and even be proud of it? What are the above images conveying?

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That's no art,, only sick and twisted glorify abuse and violence.

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Sick, sick, sick ...

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This is not clever, it is not interesting, it is not art, it is sick. And yes, I too have been a victim of domestic violence.

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So, what was "women's liberation" and "full equality" all about?"

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I don't understand why the majority of readers are so upset. I interpret this as an attempt to hight light the violence in society, to get people talking and have the problem open for discussion in public. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there (not only women) who are victims of violence that could do with more support to help them get out of those situations.

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This is disgusting on so many levels; there is nothing glamorous about violence towards women, or in any form. No wonder a lot of sick individuals out there still see violence as acceptable when this is being 'glamourized' here and through other media (eg. a lot of rap songs degrading women etc.).

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And this sells clothes how?

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