Famous Female Faces; Photography as evidence of domestic and public incidenthttp://womensaid.org

Famous Female Faces; Photography as evidence of domestic and public incident

Natalie Kirk

In 2007 photographer Rankin worked alongside the charity Women's Aid in a campaign against domestic violence. ACT Campaign.

Rankin shot images of famous female faces made up to show the effects of domestic violence. The campaign wanted to emphasise the fact that domestic violence can affect every woman no matter her age or situation. The images depict the affects of a violent relationship.

The fact that celebrities are used makes you instantly engage with the image, you recognise the face - "Oh it's Mequita from T4"- You take notice and it gets people talking -"Have you seen that photo of Fern Britton with a black eye? It's for that domestic violence campaign"- The power of celebrity will get people recognising and talking about your campaign, which is of course what you want, you want the attention and the hype for your cause. You want people to remember. But...does the fact that it is a celebrity somehow detract from the harsh reality of the affects of domestic abuse? Are the images somehow easier to look at because really you know it's not real, it's make up, this is what could happen to someone in an abusive relationship not what has happened to this person.

If it was a stranger in the images, someone who was a victim, someone you didn't recognise, would people talk about them in the same way? Would the images be harder to look at or more shocking because they're real, this is what has happened to someone, this person has suffered. Would they get the same kind of attention or be remembered in the same way?

I feel that the campaign is for an amazingly worth while cause and raising awarness of domestic abuse is a much needed education for our society, using the help of celebrities in the campaign deffinately catches people's attention easily. However, I can't decide whether or not it slightly detracts from the severity of the situation, if it somehow demeans the victims? At the end of the day the celebrities can wipe off all the make up, it's not a reallity for them.

The campaign wanted to raise awarness that domestic abuse is going on all around us but it also hopes to encourage victims to come forward and talk. As a victim, would you be more inspired by a celebrity putting on make up depicting your experiences or, by a real victim having the courage to come formard herself?