It seems that awareness of street harassment has grown in recent months, particularly through the art world — as seen in the work of Tatyana Fazlalizadeh and Hannah Price. In another example of provocative photography combating the pervasiveness of street harassment, Rachel Graves’ Menagerie depicts the English photographer made up as animals that correspond to the words lobbed her way by men in public spaces, such as “bird,” “fox,” and “bitch.”
“The project came about as a way for me to take control of what was happening and find a way to answer back and gain ownership over myself again,” Graves tells The Huffington Post. “For me it was important to do more than simply dress up and paint my face to represent some of the names and insults being thrown at me. I didn’t want to just turn myself into the object that the harassers saw me as. I wanted to find a way to get my sense of self back, to be able to throw the words away and take back control.” The result is a powerful collection of striking and dramatic images that provoke a response that those who cat-call women on the street might not expect.
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves
Image credit: Rachel Graves