I CANT HEAR YOU
I created "I can't hear you" to shed light on animal testing, replacing the animal element with a human model to showcase how inhumane cosmetic testing on animals can be. The first picture in the series represents the 'testing' aspect. It shows the model chained and beaten, eyes forced open with make-up swatches all over her, an uncomfortable existence.
The second design illustrates the 'outcome' of animal testing. It depicts the model as very beautiful with gold and black makeup, glamorously applied however when you look closer there is a prosthetic ear growing on her chest. This is a reference to the 1996 Vacanti mouse, where scientists managed to grow cartilage in the shape of a human ear on the back of a laboratory mouse.
This sparked many debates in the 90s about animal testing however a lot of people saw this experiment in a positive light, as a breakthrough in science. The ear rings in the prosthetic ear represent societies tendency to glamorise animal testing for cosmetic gains.
Location: Bournemouth, UK
Photographer: Natalia Palmer
IG: nataliaxpalmer
WB: nataliapalmerphotography
Female Model: Janine Gatchalian
IG: yoitsjanine
Makeup Artist: Charlotte Williams
IG: charlotte_williams_mua
Wardrobe Stylist: Paige Newmann
IG: paigenewmannstylist