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Photo Essay: Brutal Honesty And Uncomfortable Familiarity

Mark Velasquez, beat-up, bruised, beauty queen

Fighting Beauty Queen.

Yes, there are still mainly attractive young women in my work, and I will be the first to admit that "sex sells," but these images are a lot deeper than that.

By Citizen Correspondent Mark Velasquez

Date Posted: 05/16/07

Reader Rating:

We've seen it all before. The "cute girl," the "pretty face," the "radiant smile." Blah blah blah. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan. BIG FAN. But it gets old after a while. Okay, I may be a bit jaded after having taken photos of over 200 women, but it just takes a lot more to hold my interest now. Sure, we've been suckered in by a pretty face, but I'd like to think I'm getting past all that. Which is why my current work has evolved into its current incarnation.

Often the reaction from people is that my work is sexist, superficial, or just a one-line joke. Yes, there are still mainly attractive young women in my work, and I will be the first to admit that "sex sells," but these images are a lot deeper than that. These women are real, with opinions and personalities. They have just as many issues and baggage and hang-ups as everyone else. I try to slip a little reality in there, a bit of brutal honesty and an uncomfortable familiarity that hopefully takes a simple image of a woman as a beat-up beauty queen and makes it into a sad and real metaphor for how she lives her own particular life.

Just make me think, and I'll do my best to return the favor.

www.MarkVelasquez.com