This Woman Is Turning Unsolicited Dick Pics into Art and People Are Loving It
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An artist is starting a powerful conversation about harassment towards women with her art gallery of unsolicited dick pics.
Los Angeles artist Whitney Bell recently launched her art show, "I Didn't Ask For This: A Lifetime of Dick Pics," which features the high volume of unsolicited dick pics that she and other women have received from men. The gallery is in the style of a bedroom with about 200 dick pics all over the walls and space, an artistic choice meant to highlight the pervasiveness of unwanted dick pics, Bell told VICE in an interview. She also told ATTN: via email that the proceeds from the event will go to the Center For Reproductive Rights to "help stop the unlawful closure of abortion clinics due to trap laws."
Bell told Vice that the project was actually inspired by a positive dick pic experience she had but that she wants to expose the real problem of harassment that comes with unsolicited dick pics.
"The thing is, this isn't dick-hating or man-hating," Bell told VICE. "I love a good dick. I just don't love harassment. That's what this needs to start being seen as. All of these dicks are unsolicited. They didn't come from requests. I've asked for dick pics personally. But I don't want to see a dick from some guy I've never met, or someone I went on one date with when it's not condoned."
Whitney Bell - facebook.com
She told Vice that when she asked guys on Reddit about why they send unsolicited dick pics, many of them sent her unsolicited dick pics without "provocation."
"It's not about sex," she told VICE. "It's about power. It's about these guys wanting to exert that control. These guys, they get off knowing that they forced some girl to see it. They know that girl is not going to turn around and say, 'Let's go on a date.' It's not a pick up. It's like screaming at a woman from a car. You're just doing this because you can, and because the world has taught you that that's OK."
She told ATTN: via email that her project has sparked "a lot of interest from people" who want her to take the project on the road, and she is considering going to Austin, New York, and San Francisco to host the gallery.
Bell also revealed that at least one of the unsolicited dick pics was sent to her by a man with a wife and kids.
This, unfortunately, is not uncommon. Several months ago, model Emily Sears and DJ Laura Lux told ATTN: that they contact the wives or girlfriends of the men who send them unsolicited dick pics to expose how these guys are really behaving on social media.
Bell's gallery is at Rhabbitat and her exhibit runs through April 17.
Check out the full VICE interview here.
This article has been updated to include a comment from Bell.
