Jaws dropped in January when photos of Beyoncé wearing next to nothing on the pages of GQ magazine hit the web. The mag's editors couldn't have asked for a better reaction to the provocative shoot. For a solid week all we (we meaning my social media cohort) discussed was Bey's triumphant come back. But the photo shoot gave me pause. I recognized instantly that this was the work of photographer Terry Richardson.
Richardson has a distinctive style. His subjects usually pose in front of stark, white backgrounds and his shots are bright. Once you're familiar, you can easily spot a Terry Richardson shot. That's how he's made his mark. But, in recent years, Terry Richardson has also become known forharassing models.
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| Beyonce on February 2013 GQ |
Several women have come forward with disgusting stories of sexual violations, yet Richardson continues to book high profile gigs with Beyoncé and Rihanna. That kills me because these models have little to no recourse.
Though Richardson has not been charged with breaking the law, the mounting evidence against him is damning, and I can't help but wonder why women with so much power don't draw hard lines. Perhaps they don't know, but is that an excuse? Working with Richardson is tacit approval. He's given carte-blance in an already exploitative industry to use his power in destructive ways.
Bey is my nearly-feminist dream superstar because she talks about the need for women to step into their power. She has the leverage to choose any photographer in the world. Why not choose one who hasn't been accused of pulling out his penis and ejaculating in front of models?
Kimberly is the Founder and Editor of COLOURES. Email orFollow @KimberlyNFoster
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