Artist: Jessica Yatrofsky

Title: I Heart Ape

Poison has long been the choice of embattled women seeking to harm their abusers. But, with “I Heart Ape“, a derivative loop inspired by “Cunt Keeper”, a video originally created by Yatrofsky, this same poison is delivered in the form of a ferocious verbal attack set within a deceptively lively pop song. The star of the video, Lil Touches, (the alter-ego of artist Jessica Yatrofsky), delivers the spoken-word inspired lyrics with ruthless venom. This is a reaction to not only personal sexual and emotional trespasses by her male counterparts but to the larger violence of the global patriarchy.

Lyrically, “Cunt Keeper” tells the story of a scorned woman “calling out” a former lover. In society, men, powerful and not, can deploy misogyny without facing consequence. But by utilizing the supposedly unladylike language of vulgarity, Lil Touches reflects this societally accepted verbal degradation of uninhibited misogyny onto itself.

Visually, Lil Touches is set against a minimal background sometimes employing an obsolete cell phone in lieu of a microphone. Images emerge from Lil Touches’ face and body, reconstructed from various pieces of female features from Yatrofsky’s earlier photographic work. Lil Touches is at once constructed from the multitude of female identities she represents and also fragmented.


Though the message of “Cunt Keeper” is cutting, Lil Touches’ comedic and wry performance is poignant... As the famous anarchist heroine Emma Goldman is thought to have remarked, “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution!” So too does Lil Touches imbue her performance with a rebellious spirit.

Models: Bored Ape #2055 owned by @Novocrypto at NovoVault.eth