'Too Suggestive To Show'

Most of my fans and blog followers will recognise the image above as being from the series of work; 'While No One's Watching'. Many of you know that this was my final degree project at Thames Valley University Reading. through this body of work I questioned the notion of the reversed gaze, in contemporary fashion advertising, and through my research of this subject I looked at many other relevant issues concerning the world of advertising and sexually charged imagery. I found myself asking the question 'Does sex sell'? we only need look at recent advertising campaigns from fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada to name but a few, also the images of photographers Stephen Klein, and Bruno Dyan, to see that sexually charged imagery sells a product. Suggestions of 'gang rape' 'voyeurisim', and 'sexual dominance' are the focal point of many advertising campaigns, but is this wrong? or are the photographers and creative directors just giving the public/the consumer what they want? and tapping into many of our hidden fantasies or taboo desires?

All of this research was carefully considered as I shot this body of work, so image my surprise when I was informed by my own university, the same university that taught me the theoretical approaches on all of these subjects that my above image would not be shown in the university final exhibition due it being too suggestive!!!

As you can image i could not believe that an image like mine that could be seen when you open any fashion magazine in the world today, would not be shown in a university exhibition because of it's 'suggestive' nature! I felt I had to get to the bottom

 of this, so I emailed the person responsible for this decision to gain his response and was told;

 "There is the issue that our VC seems to have a problem with blood and flesh! And although I’m aware that this smacks of censorship; a showcase is a showcase and some editorial control is inevitable.

So do not take it personally at all."

I found it extremely hard to appreciate what this man was saying in regard to my work and the theories and practices that i had been taught by the university. I left the discussion there needless to say minds were not changed, and my image was not shown at the end of year showcase exhibition, instead the full body of work was shown at The proud Central Gallery London.