Dana Pope - Not Natasha

Whilst here in Bradford i also went to the Impressions gallery and saw an exhibition by Dana Pope.

It is entitled 'Not Natasha' and is billed as a hard hitting and harrowing project that may be considered unsuitable for children but may disturb viewers of any age.

It looks at photographs, recorded over the last four years that document the experiences of sex trafficked women from Moldova. It also has text and collective stories.

Regarding the title of the exhibition, sex tracfficked girls with Eastern European looks are often given the nickname Natasha. Which they hate.

Here is a cllection of the images and the text that accompanies some of the images.














It is a compelling exhibition which has recieved mixed reviews. What i did like about the exhibition was it invited people to leave feedback in the vistors book. Again there were a variety of comments.





The majority of the comments in the guest book appeared to be positive with people hailing the work for addressing the issue that is sex trafficking head on and thrusting it out into the spot light for people to not shadow away from. There was the odd comment that contradicted this, saying that the way the images were presented was not shocking enough as the gallery situation in which they are presented is 'too safe' so the story of the images is lsot in the 'lovely photographs'

I totally disagree with the latter point. I think that to to enter the exhibition and not be touched by the situation that these women face is almost impossible. To read the sentences and stories alone pulls heart strings but teamed with the images add to the picture.

Not all of the context of the images is revealed, so personal questions can be asked to oneself, but it is evident that all of the images promote thought. Regardless of whether your view differs to the next person, you are unlikely to be neutral on it. Is that not what art is about? and if it can be used to address topics/ issues that need to be highlighted than why not.

I wouldnt say i 'like' the exhibition but i appreciate what the artist was trying to do. Whether i would place it in a gallery myself i am unsure of, but i think until somebody else finds a 'correct' place to highlight the issue they shouldnt condemn the people who are using opportunities wherever they can.


"Dana Popa's Not Natasha series movingly explores the lives of young Moldovan women rescued from human trafficking. A conventional photojournalistic approach may have resulted in coldly exploitative images, but Popa walks a fine line between distance and engagement, and her haunting photographs convey the tragedy of disrupted lives without being in any way sensationalistic." ( The metro Review, James Gardner.September 2008)

The metro article