The Hollywood sexual harassment wave has been harrowing and liberating – it’s shocking to finally hear the truth about how deeply fucked up the industry actually is and was, but at the same time it is empowering to see women coming forward in droves to name and shame hugely powerful men and rightfully put them in their place.
It’s a massive moment, and is understandably influencing artists globally. One such artist, Isobel Hare, has taken the multitude of apology statements and re-worked them, editing out the carefully placed words and leaving the dark realities of what’s been going on.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbngjO1F1B2/?taken-by=isobelohare
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbng0L1l43Z/?taken-by=isobelohare
Hare spoke to Mashable about her art, saying her intention was to reveal the underlying truth of the statements.
I want people to see what these statements are really conveying, which I think is a very male narcissism that demands constant attention, praise, and forgiveness. I hope that the form of erasure itself draws attention to the fact that these men have in fact erased the voices of their victims, for many years, some very deliberately and litigiously.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbdJe6Dlovx/?taken-by=isobelohare
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbdI7mellDE/?taken-by=isobelohare
It’s a powerful message and, whether these men were being genuinely sincere and apologetic or simply making statements to save their asses, the art itself is less about the individuals and more about the overall issue of men apologising for sexually predatory behaviour after it’s been revealed, instead of recognising their behaviour was out of line with no push (or, you know, not doing the shitty things in the first place).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbZoXEQFioX/?taken-by=isobelohare
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbYa8cMFfYt/?taken-by=isobelohare
Check out the rest of Isobel’s work on her Instagram here.
