Monday, December 21, 2009

Like a Piece of Meat

Mark Velasquez
Many over the years have called me a pornographer, a misogynist, or simply an objectifier of women. Having more respect for women than I do for myself, I've always been bothered by this while also trying to not take it too personally. I know who I am and what my intentions are in my photography, so if people don't get it, that is just their biased opinion. Thankfully, all of the women in my life trust me and respect most, if not all of the projects I work on and those who model for me love working with me on these projects.

Unfortunately, I think I am the exception to the rule. It doesn't take more than a few moments looking at sites like ModelMayhem.com to realize that the majority of people who call themselves photographers are little more than horny guys wanting to see women pose in bathing suits or less. I can't tell you how many horror stories I have heard from models who have had photographers grope or attack them during vulnerable moments of a photo shoot. The modeling industry is just a microcosm of course, the tip of the despicable iceberg of countless unnameable horrors that women have to deal with daily due to certain males' lack of self-control. Just look up the statistics of sexual assaults in this country alone, or the fact that at least one in three women serving in the military are raped or sexually assaulted today. I can't really say I expect things to change, as human nature can never really be denied, though I'd love to see it at least try to evolve.

As a self-affirmed mama's boy and an uncle of nieces, I can't avoid thinking about these things, especially lately/ At the same time though I am sure my images are seen as only adding to the problem. Maybe that is correct, perhaps these images I present only contribute to the continued objectification of women. No matter what someone's intentions are when creating something, how that thing is understood by the majority matters much more. I'm not really sure anymore, but I'm trying to figure it out.

2 comments:

  1. Funny, every time I see this image, I think "what a butcher!" - the meat looks like it's just been hacked from a carcass. How at odds the expression is with the skill of a real butcher.

    I live in Paris, a city where meat matters. While there are loads of good local butchers (only the truly stressed would buy from a supermarket) people will travel out of their way to buy meat from a truly skilled meat cutter for those occasions when it matters.

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  2. I have to aggree. I was stumbling upon some things and came upon this coos painting of a woman surrounded in blue tile frome the chest up. Wish I could find it again. I think it was you or another mark's painting or associate model,s picture, and it really feels good to encompass beauty than be a slob, ya know? I feel that love for the model and/or her art is more pleasureable today! AAAAH. HAd to vent. Eric Hernandez of Phoenix, AZ. Thanks Mark.

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