Rape is a crime that goes unpunished, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s in our artwork, our stories, our history books. For centuries rape has been glorified by gods, and used as a “lesson” to restrict women from their freedoms. The goal of this project is to begin with the retelling of classical stories from the female gaze, starting with the scene of the crime.

Written with Blood is an ongoing project that takes a critical perspective of the history of rape and rape culture. This project explores how historical texts, written from the male gaze, influence people’s perception of (and reaction to) the rape stories of today. Written with Blood focuses on the ongoing erasure of the woman’s voice. Pictured here are Leda and Medusa, both women from greek mythology whose personal stories have been erased and replaced over time and translation.

This project is set to explore many mediums: from posters to motion graphics, from physical spaces to digital spaces. Each medium is a new set of exploration in human empathy and how connections are formed, but they all start with the photograph. Each photograph contrasts a serene beauty with the context of something more, and something wrong. From the upside down portraits, to the blood and bruises, each element starts to build a story for these women, and create greater empathy and interest in who they were.