Using Art to Put A Dent in Street Harassment

“Hey ma, just come over here right quick.”

“Hello sweetie you got a sec?”

“Dem clothes look real good on you. You got a man?”

These are just some of the things said to women on street corners across America every single day. Many women might continue walking and ignore the verbal slings, but artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh decided to take a different path.

The Brooklyn resident, who herself has admitted to being street harassed, speaks to various women about their experiences with street harassment, and with their approval, draws their portraits and puts their faces up in differing locations as a way to bring attention to the issue. I think Tatyana’s project emphasizes that these taunts are going after women who possess feelings and emotions just like everyone else. And through this project, they’re not only making their voices heard, but sending a message.

//player.vimeo.com/video/91678581
Stop Telling Women To Smile from Dean Peterson on Vimeo.

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