| These images are from Vice's artistic photo shoots. They typically involve more risky or subversive material than the fashion photography. This first is called "Gore Porn" and is by Stephanie Maida and the second is "Looking Sad in the Tub" by Holly Lucas. These photographs are decidedly different from the first three because while they depict the models as sexual objects, they are contextualized uniquely within the contexts of violence and sadness. The image from "Gore Porn" takes the idea of subversive subject matter to a new level. The series captures various women, most of them without much clothing, covered in fake blood. The model in this picture has an assertive stare and the blood is made all the more salient by the cream backdrop. She is naked, but her tattoos and the blood are by far the most visually intense aspects of the photograph. The model's body as a sexual object is repositioned within the context of violence, thus challenging the viewer's interpretation of her nudity. Blood as a signifier creates a complex sign relationship between sex and violence. The title "Gore Porn" also frames this connection as the viewer's gaze is repositioned to equate a lust for violence within the scopophilic realm of the female body. | |
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The second image depicts a woman in what appears to be lingerie but she is made to look as if she has been crying. The title, "Looking Sad in the Tub" is straightforward and aims to challenge the potential voyeuristic nature of watching a woman bathing. Again, the female model as an aesthetically pleasing object is challenged by a complex sign relationship. The voyeurism of the photograph is subverted by the apparent sadness of the model, reinforced by again by the title of the photoshoot. As with 'Gore Porn,' the intersection of the female body with non-sexual instincts creates a liminal space for the viewer. |