Artist's photographs are a disgraceful, distasteful and trivialised look at domestic abuse through a false lens/ Rebecca Jane

Columnist Rebecca Jane has expressed her disgust at a Spanish artist's project to highlight domestic violence

Alexsandro Palombo is a Spanish artist who has decided to take images of famous women throughout the world and doctor them. He has doctored the Duchess of Cambridge to show she has a black eye, other bruising and essentially looks battered.

The aim was to bring awareness to domestic violence and the result is a disgraceful, distasteful and trivialised look at domestic abuse through a false lens.

I was actually horrified and mortified by the images, which I’m sure is exactly what the photographer intended.

More shock value campaigns designed to get attention, through a negative filter.

Personally, I don’t want to see images of fakery, I want real stories. Real people tell their true horrors of living with domestic abuse. We don’t need shock value, their voice is shocking enough. Gimmicks are not required for this subject and the artist should be hanging his head in shame.

Secondly, let’s talk about the abuse we don’t see. Real pictures of real people who have been mentally abused, have we stopped to highlight them? No. Everyday we are surrounded by people who look entirely normal on the surface, but hide horrors and stories that will bring a tear to most peoples eye.

Only 12% of women are likely to report mental abuse, whilst nearly 50% of people suffer it.

Third, the artist made a comment that beyond infuriated me (If I wasn’t infuriated enough…).

He wanted to highlight ‘gender based violence’. When he is only using women in his images. Is this some kind of joke?! Has hebeen hiding under a rock all his life. GENDER based?!

One in every three cases of domestic abuse are men, did we forget about them?

Fourth, Palombo didn’t even bother to ask permission. Imagine how you’d feel, waking up tomorrow morning and your face is splashed across Spain, literally painting you out to be a victim of domestic violence.

To the human in question, these images are downright offensive. What about the partners of the people in the pictures? How does Prince William feel that Kate’s image is being used to suggest he would have battered her!?

Any sane person in the world couldn’t agree that to do this kind of vile campaign, is nothing but poor taste.

I feel the majority of people in our nation won’t be shocked by these images, they will be horrified and disgusted.

I hope the artist in question is reading this, and if he is. Sir, it is time for you to start an ‘apology tour.'

Personally, I’d be starting with the people you’ve portrayed to have been abused by their partners, when you didn’t ask permission. Next, you owe an apology to their partner, for implying they are abusers.

Finally, you owe an apology to every person that has suffered mental and physical abuse in a relationship.

You have trivialised a very serious subject. You have detracted away from real people and their real stories.

Off you pop, go and hang your head in shame! Did you want to make a case for domestic violence, or did you just want to get yourself known!? Vile.