The Fucking Butch Dudes
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Scarlet Yates
My most recent ongoing series 'Not The Fucking Butch Dude That Could Kick Someone's Ass', is a study of contemporary masculinity and a piece of photo therapy in response to the violence that I have been victim to. Having been harassed, objectified, and abused by various men, whether in my workplace (a sports bar) or on the streets of London, I found it necessary to counterbalance the experience by finding vulnerability and goodness in the men who surround her as an antidote. The photographs represent the fruits of this process. Having had this negative experience with men, including the police and my doctor, it has majorly impacted my mental health, making me feel unsafe wherever I am, having to be alert and avoid these 'creepy men' however it is not so easily done. I made a book in response to the cat calls and comments I receive daily, to help process what they were truly saying. I already struggle with anxiety and depression and though putting their words in writing was extremely difficult, it was a process I felt I had to go through to empower myself. I tried not to put these men on a pedal stool and to elevate them because they simply don't deserve it, instead I photographed my friends, my brother and lovers to try and regain some trust in men.
