Neon lights and atmospheres reminiscent of the ’80s express a small part of the evocative mood of the shots by photographer and director Ashley Armitage. Her stylistic imprint is not new at all and has certainly been influenced by Petra Collins, an artist to whom we at Collater.al have also dedicated a Behind the artwork, which you can find here.

However, the glam imprint is “dirtied” by a feminist electric shock: in some shots, we find ourselves in front of female protagonists who aren’t shaved, on the contrary, they present themselves to the public with provocative ease.

Ashley, through an apparently frivolous aesthetic, wants to unhinge the canons associated with the female image imposed by society and put the public in front of a kind of sensuality that does not seek approval, but simply manifests itself as it is. The “sweetly disturbing” images remain etched in the viewer’s memory and shout to the world: this is me, whether you like it or not.

Another interesting aspect is also the vein of irony a bit ‘scratchy that lies behind her images, which reject taboos. Through this aesthetic operation, Ashley Armitage frees the female figure without giving up the overall beauty of the images, which go beyond the concept of “beautiful photo”.

Follow Ashley on Instagram here and explore our gallery.