A mannequin in digital art
In early April, the 29-year-old American announced the sale of a photo of her in the form of an NFT, or Non-Fungible Token, a kind of certificate of authenticity. unique for digital works, impossible to duplicate. The photo is a portrait of her posing in front of one of her images posted on Instagram… which Richard Prince then shot in large format. A work sold for 90,000 dollars (74,550 euros) by the artist without the consent of the model. The NFT sale, which will be held on May 14 at Christie’s, is claimed by Emily Ratajkowski as a conceptual work aimed at reclaiming control of her image.
A fighter for image rights
In “Buying Myself Back. When does a model own her own image? “, a resounding text published in September 2020 in New York Magazine, Emily Ratajkowski told of her astonishment when, during an exhibition, she stumbled upon the work of Richard Prince without being able to acquire it. “Who owns my image? “, she wondered in this long text. She also came back to two painful experiences. First, the proceedings against her by a paparazzi who accused her of having shared, on her Instagram account, one of her stolen photos. And the rape she suffered when she was 20, in 2012, during a photo shoot with Jonathan Leder. Which then drew from this series an exhibition and three beautiful books – without his agreement.
A feminist people
From 2016, Emrata (his nickname on Instagram) wrote in the newsletter Lenny Letter, co-created by actress, director and author Lena Dunham (Girls), texts on the right of women to dispose of their bodies. Whether it is Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson, Ratajkowski has always defended her fellow artists or models, often brutalized by the press people and their own public. At the end of October 2020, cover girl of Vogue American, Ratajkowski revealed her pregnancy and defended her wish to give a gender-neutral education to this child. “We will not know the sex of our child before he is 18”, she joked.
An anti-sexism influencer
Before being one of the new feminist voices in American fashion, the influencer first became known for her naked photos and her participation in the clip. Blurred Lines, by Robin Thicke. Images that she assumes, and continues to share, without ceasing to proclaim that they will never be in contradiction with her own fight against sexism. Everything about his first book, My Body, which will be published in October by British publisher Quercus.