Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Dasha Zhukova sparks MLK day firestorm after picture of her posing on a "black ...


  • Russian fashion blog Buro 24/7 used the shocking image of Dasha Zhukova Monday with an unrelated interview on the ex-model’s magazine, Garage

  • Miroslava Duma, the blog’s editor, also posted the insensitive photo on Instagram

  • Ms Zhukova has criticized the blog for using such a sensitive image on MLK day

  • She has since apologized, saying: ‘I utterly abhor racism’

  • Both were met with a barrage of disgusted comments, forcing Duma to delete the picture from Instagram and crop out the chair on Buro 24/7

  • In the image, the 32-year-old, wearing a crisp white shirt buttoned nearly to the top and blue jeans, perches on the extremely life-like black mannequin

  • The dummy is naked save for a pair of leather-look black panties, a belt, elbow length gloves and knee-high boots and appears to be straining


By

Helen Pow



PUBLISHED:


02:54, 21 January 2014


|
UPDATED:


22:01, 21 January 2014



Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s partner has sparked an internet firestorm after an online magazine published a photo of her sitting on a chair made to resemble a half-naked black woman – on Martin Luther King Day.


Buro 24/7 used the horrendously offensive image of Dasha Zhukova Monday to illustrate an unrelated interview about the former model’s new magazine, Garage. Miroslava Duma, the blog’s editor, also posted the insensitive photo on Instagram.


Both were met with an immediate barrage of disgusted comments, and Duma quickly deleted the picture from Instagram and cropped out the chair on Buro 24/7.


Outrage: Buro 247 used the horrendously offensive image, pictured, of Dasha Zhukova Monday to illustrate an unrelated interview about the former model


Outrage: Buro 247 used the horrendously offensive image, pictured, of Dasha Zhukova Monday to illustrate an unrelated interview about the former model’s new magazine, Garage



‘This is incredibly racist,’ Organizing for Women’s Liberation tweeted Monday, after news of the unbelievable picture spread.


In the image, the Moscow-born 32-year-old, wearing a crisp white shirt buttoned nearly to the top and blue jeans, perches on an extremely life-like black mannequin who is naked save for a pair of leather-look black panties, a dominatrix-style belt, elbow length gloves and knee-high boots.



The dummy is laying on her back with her knees bent and a cushion, which Zhukova is sitting on, is balanced on her bottom.


Her neck is propped up off the floor uncomfortably, as if she is straining to look at her master, and her amble, naked bosom is pressed provocatively against her body.


Zhukova, staring at the camera, appears the complete opposite of the black woman she’s weighing down.


Zhukova’s publicist blasted the use of the image on MLK day and said her client has a strong record of promoting diversity. She said it was ‘regrettable’ that the image of the chair by Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard had been used on such a sensitive day by the blog, and pointed out that such a use took the work completely out of context.


Zhukova herself added: ‘This photograph, which has been published completely out of context, is of an art work intended specifically as a commentary on gender and racial politics. I utterly abhor racism, and would like to apologise to anyone who has been offended by this image.’


Wealthy: Zhukova, right, is the wife of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, left


Wealthy: Zhukova, right, is the wife of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, left



Cropped version: After an immediate barrage of disgusted comments, Duma deleted the picture from Instagram and cropped out the chair on Buro 24/7, pictured


Cropped version: After an immediate barrage of disgusted comments, Duma deleted the picture from Instagram and cropped out the chair on Buro 24/7, pictured



The website also responded Tuesday after the controversy.


‘Buro 24/7 is against racism and everything that may humiliate people,’ a spokesman said in a statement.


‘The chair presented on a photo should be seen like nothing but a piece of contemporary art. We sincerely apologize if the posted photos insulted our readers.


FashionBombDaily.com editor Claire Sulmers was among the first to express her disbelief, claiming the photo’s message was startlingly clear: ‘White dominance and superiority, articulated in a seemingly serene yet overtly degrading way.’


She wrote on her blog that racism remained rampant in the art and fashion worlds and this needed to stop.






Editor: Dasha Zhukova is the editor-in-chief of Garage magazine, pictured, which focused on art and fashion. She is also described as a Russian socialite


Editor: Dasha Zhukova is the editor-in-chief of Garage magazine, pictured, which focused on art and fashion. She is also described as a Russian socialite




RUSSIAN-BORN MAGAZINE EDITOR WHO POSED ON ‘BLACK WOMAN CHAIR’ GREW UP IN CALIFORNIA


Dasha Zhukova, the partner of

Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich and editor-in-chief of

bi-annual art and fashion magazine Garage, was born in Moscow but grew up in California.


The 32-year-old’s father is a prominent Russian businessman and oil magnate and her mother was a Russian

scientist. Her parents split when she was 3 and she and her mother moved to the US

when she was 10.


She went to a privileged Jewish day school in California and graduated the University of California, Santa Barbara

before returning to Moscow and later moving to London.


In

2008, Zhukova founded the IRIS Foundation, a non-profit organization

dedicated to promoting contemporary culture.


A year later, she was

appointed editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Pop but she only

lasted three issues.


She and Abramovich, who is worth $14 billion, have

two children Aaron Alexander, born 3 December 2009 and Leah Lou, born 15

April 2013. Abramovich has five other children from a previous

relationship.


Zhukova’s was previously with Marat Safin, the retired

former Tennis World Champion Number 1 but the couple split in 2005.


‘The art and fashion industries are

the few bastions of society where blatant racism and ignorance are given

the greenlight in the name of creativity,’ Sulmers complained.


Twitter erupted after Duma published the article, presumably not realizing citizens in the U.S. and around the world were remembering the Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King’s struggles for racial equality.


User Ric Caric wrote, ‘I guess Garage Magazine thought that today would be a great day to advertise their racism,’ while Julee A. Wilson tweeted, ‘MLK is turning in his grave and I’m cursing these people’s stupidity with all my heart and soul! MAJOR fail!’


User Nikia tweeted: ‘Extremely disappointed in Miroslava Duma and Buro247 for posting this nonsense, especially on a day like today. smh,’ and Alex von Tunzelmann wrote, ‘Even in the grim, tasteless world of fashion photography, this revolting racist image- pub’d on MLK Day!- stands out.’


Zhukova was born in Moscow to a prominent Russian businessman and oil magnate and a Russian scientist but her parents split when she was three and at 10 she moved to the US with her mother.


She went to a privileged day school in California and then attended the University of California, Santa Barbara before returning to Moscow and later moving to London.


She and Abramovich, who is worth $14 billion and known for his luxury yachts, have two children Aaron Alexander, born 3 December 2009 and Leah Lou, born 15 April 2013.


Offensive timing: The horror picture was published on a day U.S. citizens and many people from other countries were remembering the Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King


Offensive timing: The horror picture was published on a day U.S. citizens and many people from other countries were remembering the Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King’s struggles for racial equality









Comments (271)


Share what you think



The comments below have been moderated in advance.





geoff096466,


Alicante,


11 hours ago


She’s not naked.





Steven,


Hartlepool, United Kingdom,


11 hours ago


People are too sensitive. The more you are offended by things like this, the more power you give it to offend you and others alike.





richard fearney,


Derby,


11 hours ago


you can get these chairs in all nationalities and both sexes …..so stop all the fuss





richard fearney,


Derby,


11 hours ago


you can get white female versions and black and white males ….its only a chair ..





Hermione Granger,


Hogwarts, United Kingdom,


11 hours ago


Reminds me of the woman chairs in ‘A Clockwork Orange’. It’s not about race, it’s objectifying women. Very tasteless, especially on MLK day.






Regular Reader,


Metropolis, Australia,


11 hours ago


The notion of objectifying any human being as furniture for another is disgraceful.





jane,


USA,


12 hours ago


how does a mannequin appear to be straining?





DuchessSomerset,


West Country,


12 hours ago


It’s a blinking mannequin for goodness sake! How many thought it was a real person?!?





CodsallKid,


Wolverhampton, United Kingdom,


12 hours ago


The Original version of this is by Allen Jones and is in the Tate Modern and is of a white woman. Date? 1969.





CarolineinEngland,


Manchester,


12 hours ago


Most of the outrage seems to come from the fact some people think the chair is a real woman. It is a copy of an art chair which is in the Tate. Google Tate Allen Jones Chair 1969. It is NOT REAL.

I don’t like myself as a work of art, but people need to calm down.



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Article source: http://www.current.com.au/2013/08/07/article/Pentax-shrinks-camera-category-with-worlds-smallest-interchangeable-lens-camera/RNTPASJQIM.html


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