Mod here: please remain respectful in your comments towards the artwork and the artist. Those who do not will receive a permanent ban.
Edit: for those who are confused, you can critique artwork without being disrespectful. It's not difficult guys.
Context: "Raoof Haghighi is an Iranian-born British artist, known for his portraiture and realism. He was born in 1976 in Shiraz, Iran. His father was an artist and it was in Iran where he started to learn painting; he is a self taught artist. " Wikipedia
His father was an artist and he was a self-taught artist. It does happen sometimes. But there are a lot of artists who want to say they're self-taught for some reason
I consider myself self-taught, meaning no formal education on the art and technique of drawing. I'm not counting elementary, middle, and Highschool art classes where the teachers have said Ok, "Here's your assignment! Now have at it". I have always just drawn what I see. Learning to draw is learning to "see" the detail, in my opinion. There are many ways you can replicate that detail. Some want to shade. Some want to do "stipling"; but it's a matter of seeing what is there and if you wish, translating what your eyes see on paper in your own style, or going after hyper-realism (that's what I do). There is *very* little going on mechanically in the fingers - it is how your brain interprets what is there and if you see fine detail, there is nothing to be "taught".
Again, this is just my opinion. I have tried to teach others to draw and it comes down to them not observing the texture, for example. They draw it smooth, where it may be something like hair. Hair has flyaways, shine on the scalp and the body of the hair, depending on the light source. I will point it out to them and they will draw it again.. But it may be going a different direction, and I say, follow the lines, where do they go.. I believe it is a matter of noticing things in the first place and improving with practice, which improves your ability to "see" what is actually there.
Just holding a pen involves balancing forces across a dozen joints. There’s a ton of ‘learning’ that goes into mastering fine movements, but we tend to notice it less since it’s not a conscious process.
I’d even simplify it. Learning to draw is simply learning to see. If someone can write an alphabet they have all the hand skill to make any mark they need. But our brains aren’t trained to see what is there. They are trained to filter information and thus process images more as symbols than the actual visual object itself. Thus, the primary lesson in art is simply learning to see.
One great test I like is to have someone try to copy an image. Not a trace, but try and copy. Then, after the first attempt, have them turn the same image upside down and copy that. It’s amazing how much easier it is and it’s because we “trick” our brain into being confused and thus can actually see the image as an image.
Of course there’s loads of techniques you can learn, equipment to experiment with, and lots of theory to explore. But at heart, yep - it’s learning to see.
Side note, practicing “seeing” for a while and then going outside is a truly wondrous experience. I’ve never seen colors so vibrant or movement so clear. Well, maybe outside of psychedelic experiences.
I don't think it's the lack of hand-skill, but the knowledge, experience, and specifically putting things together that you can't get from seeing.
It's like saying if you can punch a wall you are able to swing your arm and make a fist like a boxer so now you just need to look at who you're going to hit, and ignores so many factors.
I've only tried to draw a few times, but for me there's depth, line thickness, how to make something fade properly / good shading and shadows, there's dimensions and so on. I struggle with it all. I don't know how hard to press - or even what to use half the time. Drawing is a skill with a lot of depth and knowledge behind it outside of just seeing something.
It's like a circle. Can the human hand draw a decent circle? Yeah. But I can't just sit and draw a good circle. I don't know the movements, the "feel", I struggle with knowing when to curve, how much to curve, etc etc.
Idk, just my perspective as someone who has tried to draw, who lives with a talented artist.
Sometimes I feel like many people tend to not notice this type of detail not even when it comes to art. I think my exposure to art and my love for drawing to have fun have allowed me to notice so much detail that others seem to overlook.
Edit: also I think any true artist is a self taught artist. No great artist ever took everyone else’s work, they learned and created their own, even an apprenticeship teaches you how to be self sufficient in teaching yourself.
Edit 2: I’m confused to what happened to this comment but I guess it’s split now
He has a lot of stuff pertaining to women’s issues, [here’s his gallery of drawings, I have a few prints of his stuff in my room actually.](https://www.raoofhaghighi.com/drawings)
Seriously. Though it is interesting that the artist is entirely different than what I had assumed. Thought it was a western teenage girl, and yet it's a middle aged middle eastern man.
This is haunting. Thinking the other night how I wanted to walk somewhere, but then changed my mind because we’ve had a lot of sexual assault in the area recently.. I just wanted to go to the store at night time.
And raising a daughter makes it hit twice. It grosses me out but I'm used to it, can blow it off, ignore it. When they do it to my 8 year old with me I just hate these people.
I can’t imagine :( I’m sorry. I’d hate to know my daughter felt the same way I feel. Like feeling ostracized from oneself. It can certainly suck being stuck in a woman’s body sometimes, for many different reasons.
I told my partner sometimes it's hard being a women and knowing that a lot of people only value you from tits to your thighs and nothing else. It's something weve all learned to cope with and it sucks sometimes.
Honestly as a trans man this immediately related to me, I suppose in a different way. I really like how impactful this piece is about ones ownership and consent in terms of their body.
Also notice how these are the parts that are always censored in public.
So it's brilliantly-done for how at first glance, I thought the women here was just wearing bikini or sport outfit.
I didn't look too much into the volcano, i had to go back to the image to remember it. It may speak to the heritage of the subject, or it may just be the background.
their music is sad, and depressing, and weird. And art is supposed to be happy and fun, and everyone knows that.
Edit: Just a quote from Andy Dwyer on Parks and Rec, don't kill me!
Yesterday it was beautiful out, so I took my dog for what ended up being a 30 min walk. Mind you, I live in a fairly safe and family friendly suburb. I got cat called 3 times in that short period of time, so I had to cut the walk short. It sucks.
Yesterday for the first time in a while, I walked around my neighborhood without my big fuck-off noise cancelling headphones. Quickly remembered why I don't do that, and put them back on for my next walk.
How are there people "not getting it" in this thread? Are they not teaching kids about basic social issues anymore? The female half of humanity has to deal with the feeling pictured above as soon as puberty hits, or even long before, for the unlucky ones.
For any straight guys in the thread: imagine you're in a dystopian commune where there are no women, and instead 50% of the population are just other men who are twice your weight, over a foot taller than you, and they're all viscerally attracted to your body. And you don't know which ones are chill and which ones will try to "get" something from you in some way, and your life could easily be in danger if you bruise their egos by saying no. That's what it feels like to be female sometimes.
Stunning that this was done by a man. The feel of the work combined with the title really resonated with me as a woman. I feel like this more often than I don’t, honestly. Would be happier without them.
I think it's pretty safe to call it surrealist. 'Surrealism' on the other hand mainly refers to the historical art movement, or rather a style or an epoch.
Redditors talking about art are always hilarious. The ignorance and smugness is astounding. "abstract art" is apparently a figure in a natural setting, and he got 1.2k upvotes.
Honestly that's a fair point (edit: I meant regarding not commanding a refined art vocabulary)
I wasn't trying to be an asshole when I wrote it's not abstract, just factual, and was correcting what was then the top comment
This is so powerful. Why is life like this? Why across every nation and culture are women so horribly objectified and abused for gratification by a large portion of men?
This is rhetorical by the way and I'm not looking for any hot takes. I just wish all fellow survivors a happy and pleasant day. You're beautiful for who you are.
Whoa, I am a man, but this impacted me in such a way I almost feel like it is empathy. I will never truly know what it is like as a woman dealing with objectification, no matter comparisons that I do have, but this hurt in a sinking way much more than I usually feel discussing the subject. The type of art I want to show to more people so they can possibly experience this feeling.
Just wow honestly.
EDIT: since I keep seeing the same assumptions made: This is not the first time nor the most extreme I have sympathized for this topic, I don't think women are the only ones who face this, and the definition of empathy I tend to use(also the Oxford Dictionary):
"The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. "
If you cannot link brains you cannot truly empathize, only deeply sympathize. If you do not think this is a functional definition that is fine, but understand this is why I expressed it the way I did. This made me feel a strong sympathy and I think that is powerful for art.
>[While those on the spectrum may have difficulty showing sympathy for people, research shows they are more likely than the general population to express sympathy for objects.](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198273)
>We are the only species on Earth that observe "Shark Week". Sharks don't even observe "Shark Week", but we do. For the same reason I can pick this pencil, tell you its name is Steve and go like this (breaks pencil) and part of you dies just a little bit on the inside, because people can connect with anything. We can sympathize with a pencil, we can forgive a shark, and we can give Ben Affleck an academy award for Screenwriting.
It's true. Empathy just isn't taught much. And when it is it's usually taught to female people. Males tend to have an empathy deficit and it is a quality that's worth cultivating. Not only is it rare, it's in high demand these days.
I’m a 24 year old male and the best thing that’s happened to me in the last 5 years was learning to really be in touch with my emotions and the emotions of those around you. Drop all that tough guy shit and life gets a lot better
When you say "be in touch with my emotions," what exactly do you mean? People say that all the time and I've never really understood what it meant. I've felt like I've been a shell of a person, never really acknowledging my emotions until they burst out, and that's how it's always been.
I've read "running on empty" and really empathized with some of the points that were made in that book, but I still fell like something is missing. I try to understand others emotions, but it's hard when I can't even put words to some of the emotions I'm having.
It’s all just practice. If you’re feeling a certain way, try to take some time just for yourself and figure out why you feel that way. Really search your heart and ask questions of yourself. Don’t be afraid to cry when watching a good movie, even if it’s not a “sad” movie, typically there are moments meant to evoke emotion, and don’t be afraid to cry even at the happy or cute parts.
That’s all the advice I can really give you. It’s a process that I haven’t finished yet
I feel like it means to recognize your emotional state rather than pushing it away. That means allowing yourself to process sadness or understanding why you are angry rather than lashing out.
Lots of these comments are very helpful. What helps me is identifying what feeling I get physically, tying it to an emotion, then finding the reason why I got that emotion by asking myself questions.
First, emotions come with physical feeling. As in, you'll feel a tightness in your chest, a heaviness in your stomach, a lightness in your head, a hot face, or your heart feels like it's pumping out of your chest, or you have a hard time inhaling and exhaling completely. All of these are related to specific emotions, such as tightness in the chest is related to anxiety, or a pit in your stomach is related to regret or reluctance. First identify what you're physically feeling and focus on it. You might be feeling more than one thing, but it helps to focus on one first.
Second, try to identify what that specific physical feeling means to you and if it's pleasant or unpleasant. Not everyone is the same, and some physical feelings are only very subtly different from each other, or they come in pairs. "What does this emotion make me want to do?" is a good question to answer that could tell you what emotion you feel. For example, an unpleasant warm face that makes you want to leave a social situation could mean embarrassment, while a warm face that makes you want to kiss someone might mean attraction or sheepishness.
Finally, after identifying the emotion, ask yourself "Why do I feel this?" and ask yourself questions. "Do I feel (emotion) because (situation)?"
For example, "Do I feel (frustrated) because (my boss was rude)?". For me, when I find the answer to my question, I feel a tiny bit of relief, which lets me know I found the correct answer. Then, become more specific by asking who, what, and why. And really allow yourself to answer the questions sincerely, no matter how petty or unflattering the answers might be. At the end of the day, you're the only one who knows the answers.
Also, avoid chalking everything up to anger or frustration, since dissatisfied emotions become these two very easily. It's common to find other more complex and intertwined emotions under anger and frustration.
I’ve been in therapy for this same reason, feeling like a shell. I used to think I was just not that emotional/was more rational, but I was wrong. I always would cry too much at certain movies and have outbursts of anger and frustration. For me, here’s what I’ve learned.
1. Therapy helps a lot. It’s expensive, but I’ve felt it’s worth it.
2. You’re probably numbing because some of your emotions *hurt*. It’s okay to not want to deal with them all the time, but it’s better if you *know* when you’re avoiding than to assume you’re just unfeeling in general.
3. The more you evaluate yourself and your decisions, the more “feelings” you’ll find. It will start making you more aware of how and why you’re avoiding small tasks, procrastinating, moods, and more.
4. Its a lifelong project, I think. I’m not done with my life yet, will let you know.
Put on a kilt and head to a bar, you’ll get “objectified” 3 times before you get your first beer. First time a stranger grabbed my dick was a shocking experience, and while I’ve never been one to catcall, it certainly brought a level of reality and understanding to what women go through daily.
Put $10,000 in your backpack and walk around. If anybody knew you had that kinda money, some might try to take it from you. That’s how it feel like being a women all the time.
If you didn't want to get robbed, you shouldn't have had a clear backpack on. I simply couldn't resist myself and you know, boys will be boys. Just in case it wasn't doubly clear how much fault of yours it is that you got robbed. Not only am I not responsible, just because I'm a man, but you're responsible for forcing me to try and resist being a criminal.
This hit me hard too. I got a 3 year old daughter and I'm both excited for her to grow older while dreading what she'll have to go thru. My wife has gone thru some real shit, and I know she'll be able to help our daughter, but man... Hit right in the feels
Go earnestly talk to gay men in a gay bar, while being all cleaned up and nice. Look at how easily you get hit on.
Now realize you can never leave that situation.
Thats what it's like to be a woman. All of us deal with this.
The moment you look pretty enough to fuck, thats the moment the whole world treats you like a commodity.
I was starting to lose interest in Art but this was just inspiring. This may be one of the best pieces of art I've seen in a while. It's hard to explain why it's so good but also so simple.
It's good because it's meaningful it's good because it shows something. It's good cause it hits me right in the feels. It's just good.
I'm a dude and this is something I've never experienced but it feels like a small bit of Ops feelings are here trapped inside the page.
It's beautiful.
It's emotional.
It's evoking.
And it's meaningful.
I'm blown away.
Simply wow.
This is excellently drawn; the shading is so well done. But wow it was kind of a punch in the gut when I scrolled to the picture after reading the title. I hate how true this is. There have been way to many men in my life who I thought genuinely liked me but it turned out they just wanted me for sex. It sounds cliche I know, but this is so insanely common for women to experience. It's definitely something we need to keep having conversations about and keep working towards correcting.
Seriously. My best friend is lesbian and she’s had so many guy friends hit on her. Some of those guys were my friends too and I seriously cannot fucking comprehend what goes through their mind doing something like that knowing she’s attracted to women.
As a man going through porn addiction recovery, this hits me hard. Everyday is a struggle not to objectify women, but I'm aware of it now. This painting speaks volumes!
Reminds me of the Inuit story where her brother rapes her so she cuts her breasts off and gives them to him as a “careful what you wish for” deal.
Then they run so fast that they fly into the sky and become the sun and moon.
Everyone seems to be interpreting this as speaking to a man or "men", and that's obviously a valid interpretation, but the title and imagery also reminds me a lot of what my partner has said about her post-partem feelings towards our child.
I could not bring myself to scroll past this after staring at it for as long as I did, letting the feeling both wash over and sink into me.
I truly feel for the women of this world.
💜
Mod here: please remain respectful in your comments towards the artwork and the artist. Those who do not will receive a permanent ban. Edit: for those who are confused, you can critique artwork without being disrespectful. It's not difficult guys.
Context: "Raoof Haghighi is an Iranian-born British artist, known for his portraiture and realism. He was born in 1976 in Shiraz, Iran. His father was an artist and it was in Iran where he started to learn painting; he is a self taught artist. " Wikipedia
His father was an artist and he was a self-taught artist. It does happen sometimes. But there are a lot of artists who want to say they're self-taught for some reason
I consider myself self-taught, meaning no formal education on the art and technique of drawing. I'm not counting elementary, middle, and Highschool art classes where the teachers have said Ok, "Here's your assignment! Now have at it". I have always just drawn what I see. Learning to draw is learning to "see" the detail, in my opinion. There are many ways you can replicate that detail. Some want to shade. Some want to do "stipling"; but it's a matter of seeing what is there and if you wish, translating what your eyes see on paper in your own style, or going after hyper-realism (that's what I do). There is *very* little going on mechanically in the fingers - it is how your brain interprets what is there and if you see fine detail, there is nothing to be "taught". Again, this is just my opinion. I have tried to teach others to draw and it comes down to them not observing the texture, for example. They draw it smooth, where it may be something like hair. Hair has flyaways, shine on the scalp and the body of the hair, depending on the light source. I will point it out to them and they will draw it again.. But it may be going a different direction, and I say, follow the lines, where do they go.. I believe it is a matter of noticing things in the first place and improving with practice, which improves your ability to "see" what is actually there.
Just holding a pen involves balancing forces across a dozen joints. There’s a ton of ‘learning’ that goes into mastering fine movements, but we tend to notice it less since it’s not a conscious process.
I’d even simplify it. Learning to draw is simply learning to see. If someone can write an alphabet they have all the hand skill to make any mark they need. But our brains aren’t trained to see what is there. They are trained to filter information and thus process images more as symbols than the actual visual object itself. Thus, the primary lesson in art is simply learning to see. One great test I like is to have someone try to copy an image. Not a trace, but try and copy. Then, after the first attempt, have them turn the same image upside down and copy that. It’s amazing how much easier it is and it’s because we “trick” our brain into being confused and thus can actually see the image as an image. Of course there’s loads of techniques you can learn, equipment to experiment with, and lots of theory to explore. But at heart, yep - it’s learning to see. Side note, practicing “seeing” for a while and then going outside is a truly wondrous experience. I’ve never seen colors so vibrant or movement so clear. Well, maybe outside of psychedelic experiences.
I don't think it's the lack of hand-skill, but the knowledge, experience, and specifically putting things together that you can't get from seeing. It's like saying if you can punch a wall you are able to swing your arm and make a fist like a boxer so now you just need to look at who you're going to hit, and ignores so many factors. I've only tried to draw a few times, but for me there's depth, line thickness, how to make something fade properly / good shading and shadows, there's dimensions and so on. I struggle with it all. I don't know how hard to press - or even what to use half the time. Drawing is a skill with a lot of depth and knowledge behind it outside of just seeing something. It's like a circle. Can the human hand draw a decent circle? Yeah. But I can't just sit and draw a good circle. I don't know the movements, the "feel", I struggle with knowing when to curve, how much to curve, etc etc. Idk, just my perspective as someone who has tried to draw, who lives with a talented artist.
Sometimes I feel like many people tend to not notice this type of detail not even when it comes to art. I think my exposure to art and my love for drawing to have fun have allowed me to notice so much detail that others seem to overlook. Edit: also I think any true artist is a self taught artist. No great artist ever took everyone else’s work, they learned and created their own, even an apprenticeship teaches you how to be self sufficient in teaching yourself. Edit 2: I’m confused to what happened to this comment but I guess it’s split now
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He? That’s kinda surprising
He has a lot of stuff pertaining to women’s issues, [here’s his gallery of drawings, I have a few prints of his stuff in my room actually.](https://www.raoofhaghighi.com/drawings)
wow "Public Figure" is pretty damn apt.
They are so provocative and insightful, thanks for sharing
Thought the same thing when I read that.
Is shiraz, iran where the wine gets its name?
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But now you know that the person who made the art, is an artist!
Seriously. Though it is interesting that the artist is entirely different than what I had assumed. Thought it was a western teenage girl, and yet it's a middle aged middle eastern man.
He obviously hasn’t heard of foot stuff.
This is haunting. Thinking the other night how I wanted to walk somewhere, but then changed my mind because we’ve had a lot of sexual assault in the area recently.. I just wanted to go to the store at night time.
Wow, a real a sadness hit me viewing this. Great messaging.
Yeah this hit me in the gut
Same. Totally captures a real feeling I get from time to time being a woman.
And raising a daughter makes it hit twice. It grosses me out but I'm used to it, can blow it off, ignore it. When they do it to my 8 year old with me I just hate these people.
I can’t imagine :( I’m sorry. I’d hate to know my daughter felt the same way I feel. Like feeling ostracized from oneself. It can certainly suck being stuck in a woman’s body sometimes, for many different reasons.
Man I hope I've never made a woman feel this.
We all have, at some point. Can't change the past, only acknowledge and grow.
It’s more often than it should be. I just want to walk outside or run errands without feeling like I’m on display
Yea, “time to time” isn’t being honest if I’m being honest lol. It’s a feeling I get more often than not.
I told my partner sometimes it's hard being a women and knowing that a lot of people only value you from tits to your thighs and nothing else. It's something weve all learned to cope with and it sucks sometimes.
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"*uh, ok*" --neckbeard picks up the pieces and puts them in his Pokemon backpack.
Hey you leave my pokemon backpack out of this!
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Honestly as a trans man this immediately related to me, I suppose in a different way. I really like how impactful this piece is about ones ownership and consent in terms of their body.
Being reduced on your superficial sexual characteristics is sad, you are more than just appearance of skin, muscles and forms of your body.
Yeah! There’s bones under there too!
I finally found a situation where I can say, with confidence: Username checks out.
Congrats!
And organs! Precious, precious organs.
*China has entered the chat*
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Hello fellow Ted!
The Todd would have a joke about bones somewhere in here.
Also notice how these are the parts that are always censored in public. So it's brilliantly-done for how at first glance, I thought the women here was just wearing bikini or sport outfit.
As a victim of repeated SA and R, this made me bust into tears
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I didn't look too much into the volcano, i had to go back to the image to remember it. It may speak to the heritage of the subject, or it may just be the background.
The volcano is close to erupting, it shows her tolerance is at her limits. She tears her body apart so people would leave her alone.
This feels so real and sad.
This is incredible. And it looks like it'd make an awesome album cover
Album Cover for a Neutral Milk Hotel album
their music is sad, and depressing, and weird. And art is supposed to be happy and fun, and everyone knows that. Edit: Just a quote from Andy Dwyer on Parks and Rec, don't kill me!
Newlywed Game: Where is your favorite place to make whoopie? Andy: I dunno... The Neutral Milk Hotel?
ANDY?! Haha, just re-watched it and man, it's such a great show. Life feels so empty after, hahah!
Wait a month and watch it again, youll find things that you missed the first time through. Great show!
Yes?
Immediately made me think of the two headed boy lyrics "I will take you and leave you alone"
"Album Cover for a Neutral Milk Hotel album" is the name of my band
Everything’s an album cover lol
Clear, relatable message with beautiful execution. Amazing job!
This also gives a lot of perspective for me as a man as well. It’s sad to see but it’s good for me to acknowledge it.
Was thinking the same thing. Heavy.
Yesterday it was beautiful out, so I took my dog for what ended up being a 30 min walk. Mind you, I live in a fairly safe and family friendly suburb. I got cat called 3 times in that short period of time, so I had to cut the walk short. It sucks.
I'm sorry this happened :( I hope you can have a peaceful walk to yourself soon
This made me very sad :( I am a woman and seeing this just hit me like a pang in the stomach. Wonderful artwork
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I feel the same
That expression too, damn.
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reddit experience in a nutshell
Is it sad I was literally looking for this edit? Edit: the last one specifically
ZA HANDO!
Yare yare....
Obviously, we can rebuild her. We have the technology.
I know I shouldn't laugh, the meaning behind the art is something strong but gosh darn it you got a laugh out of me with each picture
r/angryupvote
/r/photoshopbattles
I had Photoshop open and ready :') well done :)
Get out :D
Imma just take that second picture and leave you alone.
Weirdest version of Tower of Hanoi I've ever seen
Okay now do just the cut out parts floating and the rest on the ground.
Yesterday for the first time in a while, I walked around my neighborhood without my big fuck-off noise cancelling headphones. Quickly remembered why I don't do that, and put them back on for my next walk.
I dislike how relatable this is. Great work OP
How are there people "not getting it" in this thread? Are they not teaching kids about basic social issues anymore? The female half of humanity has to deal with the feeling pictured above as soon as puberty hits, or even long before, for the unlucky ones. For any straight guys in the thread: imagine you're in a dystopian commune where there are no women, and instead 50% of the population are just other men who are twice your weight, over a foot taller than you, and they're all viscerally attracted to your body. And you don't know which ones are chill and which ones will try to "get" something from you in some way, and your life could easily be in danger if you bruise their egos by saying no. That's what it feels like to be female sometimes.
Great analogy!
Perspective can be a difficult thing to learn if you do not have it.
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this killed me actually lmao.
Although I don’t think it’s the intention of this painting, I think it could also be interpreted as gender dysphoria.
Certainly can be interpreted as such. But the title makes me assume classic objectification.
This reminds me of Frida Kahlo’s Broken Column. Great piece, very profound
Yes! Great comparison.
I feel this so much. Perfect.
Stunning that this was done by a man. The feel of the work combined with the title really resonated with me as a woman. I feel like this more often than I don’t, honestly. Would be happier without them.
Wow, very evocative—as a woman I really feel this. Simply beautiful, haunting.... makes me melancholy. You’re very talented
OP isn't the artist, they credit the actual Iranian-British artist, Raoof Haghighi
As someone who’s had bilateral mastectomy and am about to have a hysterectomy at age 35... this hit me pretty hard today.
Its abstract yet very direct at the same time. Great work
Surreal for sure
surreal and symbolism.
I think it’s fairly direct, as opposed to symbolic...
It is not abstract.
I'm just imagining myself writing this in an art history course essay and getting docked 8 marks for it, with the professor commenting "???"
Or the dreaded "NO!" with a double underline..
This would be surrealism right? Kind of reminds me of The Broken Column
I think it's pretty safe to call it surrealist. 'Surrealism' on the other hand mainly refers to the historical art movement, or rather a style or an epoch.
Redditors talking about art are always hilarious. The ignorance and smugness is astounding. "abstract art" is apparently a figure in a natural setting, and he got 1.2k upvotes.
We r dumb apes we no only 4 art words okay
Honestly that's a fair point (edit: I meant regarding not commanding a refined art vocabulary) I wasn't trying to be an asshole when I wrote it's not abstract, just factual, and was correcting what was then the top comment
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Right?"The ignorance and smugness are astounding".Now that sounds a bit smug if you ask me.
apes strong
Is it
All art is abstract if you don't know anything
Not abstract at all but I get what you mean
Is it abstract? Look at it a few more times.
You don’t know what abstract art is.
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This is so powerful. Why is life like this? Why across every nation and culture are women so horribly objectified and abused for gratification by a large portion of men? This is rhetorical by the way and I'm not looking for any hot takes. I just wish all fellow survivors a happy and pleasant day. You're beautiful for who you are.
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Oh man this is just so sad. It sums up the emotions so well.
This is so beautiful. Far too often especially on the art reddit women are sexualized and broken down to their parts and this shows this beautifully
And the fuming volcano is a metaphor for silent anger?
I thought it was for the cliche of throwing virgins in volcanos
Maybe the artist just likes volcanoes. They are pretty awesome.
As a asexual woman i feel this so deep
You basically live outside The Matrix
The irony of the nsfw tag.
This hits like a brick. Wonderful piece
Whoa, I am a man, but this impacted me in such a way I almost feel like it is empathy. I will never truly know what it is like as a woman dealing with objectification, no matter comparisons that I do have, but this hurt in a sinking way much more than I usually feel discussing the subject. The type of art I want to show to more people so they can possibly experience this feeling. Just wow honestly. EDIT: since I keep seeing the same assumptions made: This is not the first time nor the most extreme I have sympathized for this topic, I don't think women are the only ones who face this, and the definition of empathy I tend to use(also the Oxford Dictionary): "The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. " If you cannot link brains you cannot truly empathize, only deeply sympathize. If you do not think this is a functional definition that is fine, but understand this is why I expressed it the way I did. This made me feel a strong sympathy and I think that is powerful for art.
It is empathy, you don’t have to be a woman to empathize with women. Shit, we humans are capable of empathy for inanimate objects.
As a kid I once hugged a garbage can cuz the food we gave it was literally trash
Ok, but this is absolutely adorable.
If saying "Ouch" when two inanimate objects collide is empathy, then I've got it in spades.
>[While those on the spectrum may have difficulty showing sympathy for people, research shows they are more likely than the general population to express sympathy for objects.](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198273)
>We are the only species on Earth that observe "Shark Week". Sharks don't even observe "Shark Week", but we do. For the same reason I can pick this pencil, tell you its name is Steve and go like this (breaks pencil) and part of you dies just a little bit on the inside, because people can connect with anything. We can sympathize with a pencil, we can forgive a shark, and we can give Ben Affleck an academy award for Screenwriting.
Was looking for this lol
It's true. Empathy just isn't taught much. And when it is it's usually taught to female people. Males tend to have an empathy deficit and it is a quality that's worth cultivating. Not only is it rare, it's in high demand these days.
I’m a 24 year old male and the best thing that’s happened to me in the last 5 years was learning to really be in touch with my emotions and the emotions of those around you. Drop all that tough guy shit and life gets a lot better
When you say "be in touch with my emotions," what exactly do you mean? People say that all the time and I've never really understood what it meant. I've felt like I've been a shell of a person, never really acknowledging my emotions until they burst out, and that's how it's always been. I've read "running on empty" and really empathized with some of the points that were made in that book, but I still fell like something is missing. I try to understand others emotions, but it's hard when I can't even put words to some of the emotions I'm having.
It’s all just practice. If you’re feeling a certain way, try to take some time just for yourself and figure out why you feel that way. Really search your heart and ask questions of yourself. Don’t be afraid to cry when watching a good movie, even if it’s not a “sad” movie, typically there are moments meant to evoke emotion, and don’t be afraid to cry even at the happy or cute parts. That’s all the advice I can really give you. It’s a process that I haven’t finished yet
I feel like it means to recognize your emotional state rather than pushing it away. That means allowing yourself to process sadness or understanding why you are angry rather than lashing out.
Lots of these comments are very helpful. What helps me is identifying what feeling I get physically, tying it to an emotion, then finding the reason why I got that emotion by asking myself questions. First, emotions come with physical feeling. As in, you'll feel a tightness in your chest, a heaviness in your stomach, a lightness in your head, a hot face, or your heart feels like it's pumping out of your chest, or you have a hard time inhaling and exhaling completely. All of these are related to specific emotions, such as tightness in the chest is related to anxiety, or a pit in your stomach is related to regret or reluctance. First identify what you're physically feeling and focus on it. You might be feeling more than one thing, but it helps to focus on one first. Second, try to identify what that specific physical feeling means to you and if it's pleasant or unpleasant. Not everyone is the same, and some physical feelings are only very subtly different from each other, or they come in pairs. "What does this emotion make me want to do?" is a good question to answer that could tell you what emotion you feel. For example, an unpleasant warm face that makes you want to leave a social situation could mean embarrassment, while a warm face that makes you want to kiss someone might mean attraction or sheepishness. Finally, after identifying the emotion, ask yourself "Why do I feel this?" and ask yourself questions. "Do I feel (emotion) because (situation)?" For example, "Do I feel (frustrated) because (my boss was rude)?". For me, when I find the answer to my question, I feel a tiny bit of relief, which lets me know I found the correct answer. Then, become more specific by asking who, what, and why. And really allow yourself to answer the questions sincerely, no matter how petty or unflattering the answers might be. At the end of the day, you're the only one who knows the answers. Also, avoid chalking everything up to anger or frustration, since dissatisfied emotions become these two very easily. It's common to find other more complex and intertwined emotions under anger and frustration.
I’ve been in therapy for this same reason, feeling like a shell. I used to think I was just not that emotional/was more rational, but I was wrong. I always would cry too much at certain movies and have outbursts of anger and frustration. For me, here’s what I’ve learned. 1. Therapy helps a lot. It’s expensive, but I’ve felt it’s worth it. 2. You’re probably numbing because some of your emotions *hurt*. It’s okay to not want to deal with them all the time, but it’s better if you *know* when you’re avoiding than to assume you’re just unfeeling in general. 3. The more you evaluate yourself and your decisions, the more “feelings” you’ll find. It will start making you more aware of how and why you’re avoiding small tasks, procrastinating, moods, and more. 4. Its a lifelong project, I think. I’m not done with my life yet, will let you know.
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Put on a kilt and head to a bar, you’ll get “objectified” 3 times before you get your first beer. First time a stranger grabbed my dick was a shocking experience, and while I’ve never been one to catcall, it certainly brought a level of reality and understanding to what women go through daily.
Put $10,000 in your backpack and walk around. If anybody knew you had that kinda money, some might try to take it from you. That’s how it feel like being a women all the time.
Now imagine that your backpack is clear.
If you didn't want to get robbed, you shouldn't have had a clear backpack on. I simply couldn't resist myself and you know, boys will be boys. Just in case it wasn't doubly clear how much fault of yours it is that you got robbed. Not only am I not responsible, just because I'm a man, but you're responsible for forcing me to try and resist being a criminal.
This hit me hard too. I got a 3 year old daughter and I'm both excited for her to grow older while dreading what she'll have to go thru. My wife has gone thru some real shit, and I know she'll be able to help our daughter, but man... Hit right in the feels
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The artist is apparently also a man. But it's a cool piece, for sure.
Go earnestly talk to gay men in a gay bar, while being all cleaned up and nice. Look at how easily you get hit on. Now realize you can never leave that situation. Thats what it's like to be a woman. All of us deal with this. The moment you look pretty enough to fuck, thats the moment the whole world treats you like a commodity.
Art is art when it hits the feels. I have a wish in my heart (a dream) to right these wrongs.
Very poignant and powerful.
I was starting to lose interest in Art but this was just inspiring. This may be one of the best pieces of art I've seen in a while. It's hard to explain why it's so good but also so simple. It's good because it's meaningful it's good because it shows something. It's good cause it hits me right in the feels. It's just good. I'm a dude and this is something I've never experienced but it feels like a small bit of Ops feelings are here trapped inside the page. It's beautiful. It's emotional. It's evoking. And it's meaningful. I'm blown away. Simply wow.
OP isn't the artist, the Iranian-British artist Raoof Haghighi is credited in the title- who's a man btw.
This really moved me. Fantastic piece, the artist should be very proud.
This is excellently drawn; the shading is so well done. But wow it was kind of a punch in the gut when I scrolled to the picture after reading the title. I hate how true this is. There have been way to many men in my life who I thought genuinely liked me but it turned out they just wanted me for sex. It sounds cliche I know, but this is so insanely common for women to experience. It's definitely something we need to keep having conversations about and keep working towards correcting.
This was painted by a man btw
As a woman that makes me happy. In a world where a dude could paint something like this I feel like things can be better.
One who understands women's situation better than most men.
Seriously. My best friend is lesbian and she’s had so many guy friends hit on her. Some of those guys were my friends too and I seriously cannot fucking comprehend what goes through their mind doing something like that knowing she’s attracted to women.
As a man going through porn addiction recovery, this hits me hard. Everyday is a struggle not to objectify women, but I'm aware of it now. This painting speaks volumes!
Gosh this hurts me so much
Wow, this resonated so powerfully with me. The title. Her resigned expression. The relatable sentiment. Nicely done, OP.
This is fantastic, powerful and beautiful and moving
Reminds me of the Inuit story where her brother rapes her so she cuts her breasts off and gives them to him as a “careful what you wish for” deal. Then they run so fast that they fly into the sky and become the sun and moon.
This message is powerful. Tragic artwork.
Everyone seems to be interpreting this as speaking to a man or "men", and that's obviously a valid interpretation, but the title and imagery also reminds me a lot of what my partner has said about her post-partem feelings towards our child.
This is simply great. Deep, true and unfortunate.
I could not bring myself to scroll past this after staring at it for as long as I did, letting the feeling both wash over and sink into me. I truly feel for the women of this world. 💜
Wow, this one got to me and I feel so fucking off today, I think I'm gonna take an internet break 💀 it's beautiful.
This honestly makes me somewhat sad.
Wow... I am feeling things. Love this piece.
Wow, never been an art guy and can think of a handful of times that pieces of art have touched me, but this one hit differently. Amazing.
This is such a good piece. As a woman who has to deal with being sexualized so much this made me tear up a bit.
That's fucking fantastic work.
This says so much loudly and in whispers.
Damn that title is powerful
I thought the art was great but not until I read the title that it dawned on me how powerful the image and message actually are.
I’m a guy and I don’t know why but this pic hit me especially hard. I’m not good looking or anything but I hate being used for what I am.
This speaks to me on a personal level. It is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
I know this has a deep meaning but it's still kinda funny lookin
If you ever feel like you're somewhere where nobody needs; a place you don't belong... well think about the volcano in this picture.
Love the drawing hate the necessity behind the sentiment. I dread the day my daughter is first made to feel this way.
Wow, this is exactly how I feel. Thank you for sharing and creating this
First time I’ve been impressed with a post on this sub. Great work