Celebrating women’s bodies; protesting gender inequality, sexual harassment, and police violence; and lifting each other up is essential feminist work. In a new art installation, Los Angeles-based photographer Maggie West, who specializes in experimental technicolor lighting and whose work increasingly critiques still-rigid contemporary ideas about gender and sexuality, worked with 40 women subjects — including Stephanie Beatriz, Joanna Angel, Nikki Hearts, Gaby Dunn, Trace Lysette, Alexis Zall, Isis King and more — to do just that.
“An unashamed woman is a mighty powerful force, but a hoard of women who’ve taken to the streets to shed their shame — well that’s unstoppable,” says Whitney Bell, one of the women featured.
Part of Amber Rose’s third Slutwalk, 96 is an outdoor steel-and-plexiglass art installation, with nudes printed on triangles to form an outdoor stained glass ceiling in the middle of Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. A play on the idea of women saints depicted in stained glass as a celebration of their purity, in 96, West celebrates women’s freedom to sexual self-expression and to protest sexual violence. In an artist statement, West notes, “The title, 98, is taken from a Department of Justice statistic that says every 98 seconds an American is sexually assaulted.”
The project includes 40 women, including queer women and trans women — artists, sex workers, actors, models, photographers, and the internet famous — to help highlight the unavoidable experience of sexual harassment. “Diversity is a very important part of this project. All women (including queer women, trans women, sex workers, etc.) have experienced the type of harassment, violence and discrimination Slutwalk was designed to protest,” says West. “This installation brings together women of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations to send a message about a woman’s right to sexual expression without experiencing threats or violence.”
96 opens October 1. Can’t get to downtown LA or want a preview? Check out a selection of the work below.
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/stephanie_beatriz_by_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1220%2C813)
Stephanie Beatriz by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/megan_lytle_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1220%2C814)
Megan Lytle by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/paulina_hurtado_aldana_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Paulina Hurtado by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/gaby_dunn_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Gaby Dunn by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ana_foxxxby_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Ana Foxxx by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/arisce_wanzer_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Arisce Wanzer by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/tanya_negin_by_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1220%2C813)
Tanya Negin by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/kellee_moran_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Kellee Moran by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/keisha_grey_by_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1000%2C1509)
Keisha Grey by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/leigh_raven_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Leigh Raven by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/nikki_hearts_by_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Nikki Hearts by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/jazzmyne_robbins_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1220%2C813)
Jazzmyne Robbins by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/sanam_sindhi_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Sanam Sindhi by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/caroline_miner_by_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Caroline Miner by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/isis_king_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Isis King by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/crissy_milazzo_by_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Crissy Milazzo by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/riley_nixon_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Riley Nixon by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/stephanie_frosch_by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Stephanie Frosch by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/luna_lovebad_by_maggie_west_2.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Luna Lovebad by Maggie West
![](https://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/gia_gunn__by_maggie_west.jpg?resize=1000%2C1500)
Gia Gunn by Maggie West
I’m really proud of all these women for taking a stand against rape culture and sexual harassment & violence. The right to a woman’s sexual self-expression, shouldn’t be stipulated on terms of discrimination, violence, or anything else.
these are all so beautiful
Wait, is the title of this installation “96” or “98”? It says both a couple times.
Wow, these are so gorgeous and so powerful.
This is a amazing, & powerful. I just love the fact it’s trans inclusive, and now have plans to see the exhibition.
well damn this is incredible
everyone looks so good holy shit
I love this it’s incredible
Gorgeous
I love this. It makes me so happy to see Gia Gunn included in this.