The Ignorance Defense
"[My photo shoot] was not based on Nirbhaya,” Shetye told BuzzFeed, using the Hindi word for "fearless" and the pseudonym the media gave the Delhi rape victim to hide her identity. A dubious claim, but let's assume it's true: Does that make it okay? Is Shetye suggesting that the offense in his editorial lies in its specificity? We'd argue that gang rapes, real or imagined, are not ideal subjects for glamorous photo shoots, but hey, that's just us.
The Fearless Teller Of Truth Defense
“This is in no way meant to glamorize the act, which was very bad.” Shetye told BuzzFeed. Wow, denouncing gang rape. Someone get this guy a cookie.
The Outrage Is Good Defense
“[My] aim is to create art that will gather some reaction in society," Shetye said. But, pushing buttons is literally the easiest, hackiest thing an artist can do. It takes talent and finesse to incite a specific reaction — say, activism in support of rape or domestic violence survivors. These photos don't do that. They just uncritically depict the violence they claim to condemn. Note to all aspiring photographers: Recreating a terrible thing is not the same as commenting on or condemning the terrible thing.