4 striking photos show what rape survivors thought about as they were assaulted

These striking photos show what rape survivors thought about after their assault

And the photographer is a survivor, too.

In the aftermath of her rape, photographer Elisa Iannacone had one image stuck in her mind: a pair of broken wings.

"It was the idea of having wings and feeling like they were broken so I couldn't really go anywhere," she told AOL.

Over the years, Iannacone began to realize that other survivors attached symbols to their assault as well: birthday presents, airplanes, even fairy tales. That's what inspired her latest project: a photo series depicting rape survivors' innermost thoughts.

"I am essentially trying to put into photographs the images stuck in people's minds after an assault. Those images you have carried with you and haven't been able to let go of after the incident," Iannacone said.

The photo series, called "The Spiral of Containment: Rape's Aftermath," features one survivor in each photo. Iannacone worked with each subject to develop a visual representation of how they felt after their attack. Rather than the usual dark, somber images traditional to these discussions, however, Iannacone chose lush and vibrant colors. Props include a real bi-plane, a vintage convertible, and an underwater tank filled with railway tracks.

"We are used to seeing distressing or photojournalistic images when it comes to sexual violence, but this also makes many people turn away from them," she told AOL. "I think it's a combination of compassion fatigue and mere desensitisation."

That’s not to say Iannacone is insensitive to survivors' experiences — in fact, she worked hand-in-hand with a therapist when talking to her subjects. She is an avid supporter of art therapy, and hopes the process proved therapeutic for her subjects, as well. More importantly, she hopes the project raises awareness about sexual assault.

"The goal is to help more survivors tell their story in this unique way, and to open up the discourse around rape and sexual assault," she wrote on her Kickstarter. "...Our aim is to remove some of the taboo surrounding the discussion of rape — to allow it to become an issue that can be discussed openly."

Iannacone plans to display the final images at a gallery in London, each accompanied by a recording of the subject's voice. They will also be printed in a hardcover book.

Check out some of her early images, below:

Sleeping Beauty

"In the original fairytale, the princess is asleep and the prince rapes her. I felt like 'Sleeping Beauty' and could have stayed in that tower forever."