16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Altered Images
Venus In Retrograde

This image shows Venus, a symbolic goddess of love, beauty, and prosperity, captured and placed on a pedestal, her arms bound behind her back, and her face masked. Put on display, the true values of Venus are subdued and her presence is exploited for the purveyors' pleasure. Rendered immobilized, her figure resembles a mannequin more than it resembles a real, live human being.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2018
Photo Location: CANTON, Michigan, United States of America
Camera: PENTAX 645Z
Copyright: © John Dykstra