'Stop Telling Women to Smile' Tackles On-Going Street Harassment
Vasiliki Marapas — September 10, 2013 — Art & Design
References: tlynnfaz & huffingtonpost
Artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is tackling the important issue of street harassment with her art project entitled, ‘Stop Telling Women To Smile.’ The project features portraits of women accompanied by a clever, biting phrase, such as the projects’ title phrase, in various metropolitan cities.
Tatyana explains to the Huffington Post that she began the project by discussing the various experiences of women she knew personally, which eventually went on to inspire the text underneath the portraits. Many of the lines serve as direct confrontation towards the harassers. This is especially great since a lot of women do not go out of their way to address street harassment, instead choosing to ignore it and go about their day.
For many women, street harassment has become apart of a disturbing daily routine. Though ‘Stop Telling Women to Smile,’ which is currently undergoing a 26-day Kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000, is currently limited to women, it may later expand to include the experiences of men and LGBTQ-identified individuals in the future. Tatyana’s thought-provoking street art also opens the discussion for other issues such as domestic abuse, violence, sexual harassment and rape.
Tatyana explains to the Huffington Post that she began the project by discussing the various experiences of women she knew personally, which eventually went on to inspire the text underneath the portraits. Many of the lines serve as direct confrontation towards the harassers. This is especially great since a lot of women do not go out of their way to address street harassment, instead choosing to ignore it and go about their day.
For many women, street harassment has become apart of a disturbing daily routine. Though ‘Stop Telling Women to Smile,’ which is currently undergoing a 26-day Kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000, is currently limited to women, it may later expand to include the experiences of men and LGBTQ-identified individuals in the future. Tatyana’s thought-provoking street art also opens the discussion for other issues such as domestic abuse, violence, sexual harassment and rape.
Trend Themes
1. Anti-harassment Street Art - Opportunity for artists to create art that tackles the important issue of street harassment across metropolitan cities.
2. Empowering Women Through Art - Opportunity to create art that puts women's rights at the forefront and helps to build awareness and support for female empowerment.
3. Intersectional Advocacy Through Street Art - Opportunity for artists to use street art as a platform for intersectional advocacy on issues such as domestic abuse, violence, sexual harassment and rape.
Industry Implications
1. Art - Artists can create opportunities for themselves and other artists by focusing on creating street art that tackles important social issues.
2. Feminism - There is an opportunity for businesses and organizations to invest in feminist initiatives that empower women and increase awareness about the issues they face.
3. Activism - There is an opportunity for activists to use street art as a platform to raise awareness about important social issues and advocate for change.
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