Introduction

It is no surprise that women have been oppressed since the beginning of human civilization. Women have been denied access to the same job opportunities, they have been pushed to hate their natural bodies, they have been told that they are generally incapable of doing things on their own, and they have been sexualized and objectified to a point of danger for their own mental health. Although, there is no denying that the fight for gender equality has come a long way. Women now have equal voting rights, they may choose to take birth control, they have equal access to job listings, they have equal pay, they can get abortions, and they have many other liberties. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. One of the most notable ways in which women are continuously oppressed is through the ridiculous amount of sexualization and objectification that they endure. This objectification is continued and supported through its appearance across every form of media, photography and art obviously included. It is important to examine the ways in which the objectification of women is subverted through art, as it can help us understand objectification, and the effects that it can have on society, and the female psych. Artists work to subvert the oppression and objectification of the female body through highlighting the issue of sexual violence, representing the female body in an unconventional way, and challenging the audience to become aware of their desire to objectify women.