OUR TRUTH, OUR POWER
My art practice is an unabashedly slanted view of contemporary life, feminism and femaleness, filtered through pop media, my prior corporate marketing career, and an inclination to look AT one thing and see another. I also try to be amusing, if possible, but this does not negate the catastrophic nature of my subject matter, which includes assault, abuse, and colorism.
My fictional character, "Wretched Sister" (WS) appears as if cut-out from bright paper, but the themes are for mature audiences, including child abuse and assault, illustrating how sensationalist current events serve as a backdrop for our everyday, ordinary lives. WS's life events "coincidentally" occur on the same exact dates as actual tabloid catastrophes. The content of the coincidence connects the personal event to the tabloid event. Besides the identical date, each headline connects to Wretched Sister's life experience. For example: when a man with sunglasses attacks WS with a screwdriver, the simultaneous explosion of the California earthquake conveys that assault is more than bodily injury: the victim may experience permanent destruction of her mental serenity.
Prior to engaging full-time in art, I was employed as a VP-level marketing executive at major corporations and startups for 20+ years. After amassing sufficient (funds and) life-experience to produce worthy content, I began thinking of myself as an artist in 2014, and I completed my MFA in Studio Art at The City College of New York in 2018. My solo thesis show "(Ms.) Understandings of Feminism" visually embraced hypocrisies, catastrophes, tropes, expectations, affectations, and clichés of having-it-all.
After graduation, I was accepted into the October 2018 L'Air FIAP Jean Monnet Paris Residency. In March 2019, my work was selected for the group show "La Femme du Futur" at Galerie Mémoire de l'Avenir in Paris. In the US, exhibition venues include Every Woman Biennial, The Invisible Dog Art Center, Local Project Art Space (Long Island City), Rockaway! /MOMA PS1, The New Britain Museum of Art, and Brooklyn Waterfront Artists’ Collective (BWAC). My art and writing have been published in The Offbeat (Michigan State University Press); Our Rhythm, Our Blues; and PonderSavant. My videos have been finalists/official selections at independent film festivals in NYC, Miami, London, and Aurora, Italy.
I live and work in New York City.
Some of the following art contains partial nudity.
For accessibility: a PDF file of the written submission can be accessed at this link
Anna Kassirer (she/her)
Anna Kassirer lives and works in Western MA. She enjoys hiking, reading, and the smell of dew in the summertime. In addition to writing poetry, Anna provides support to folks through offering family and body image coaching services. Through the trials and challenges she has faced in her own life including the sudden death of her sister, Anna came to realize the incredible and healing power that comes from sharing our stories and processing with others, and she is full of gratitude to share in the community of survivors.
Some of the following art pieces contain depictions of violence.
Anna Warfield (she/her)
There's an underlying sexualization of speech I explicitly engage with in my work. The stitched, stuffed didactic poems and commands are confrontational, mesmerizing, frightening, and purposefully pose more questions than provide answers. The commanding language directly addresses the viewer, drawing them into conversations about body, sex, and language. As an artist, I reclaim methods of making typically coded as feminine (i.e. fabric) in the interest of questioning perceptions of femininity in today's society. In working with fiber and text, I address complexities in sexuality, female ownership of self, language, and voice.
Anonymous
My life experiences have led me to notice the lack of emotional connection in society and how often our day to day lives are not conducive to strengthening this connection Through depicting the vulnerable experiences that make us human and enhancing the emotional response through color choice, it creates an opportunity to notice these situations more fully. The goal of my work is to begin bridging this gap in communication and create space for individuals to observe as well as discuss the most intimate moments of our lives, even when it is painful, in order to heal and participate in an authentic, human experience.
The following art piece & artist statement contain images of genitals & descriptions of incest.
Carl Bowlby (he/him)
I feel a little explanation is needed for this picture. It’s official title is “Deconstructing Incest” and the parenthetical title on the canvas is “Frottage”. I’ll explain this word later.
This painting is dedicated to my brother who basically engaged in incestuous “rubbing” on me when I was around 5-7 years old. He was around 15 at the time. Because I was so young and the experience wasn’t violent or involved sodomy I forgot about it.
When I turned into a teenager this same brother created a portrait of me. It was to my eyes some sort of trophy art for his conquest and incestuous feelings toward me. So this portrait hung around my parents’ house for years and years up until my dad sold the house and he gave me this portrait when I was 48 years old.
So instead of looking at this relic from the difficult past, I decided to turn it into art therapy. So I ripped the portrait into shards and then assembled them on a canvas which you see here. It is my attempt at “deconstructing incest” and its parallel meaning to the process of art-making itself.
I then decided to paint the male genitalia as symbolism of what happened so many years ago.
Now for the explanation of the word at the top of the canvas. It is what my brother did to me as best described by the French word, “frottage” which means the rubbing of one’s genitalia onto another person’s. This is the sum and substance of this picture you now see.
I just want to congratulate my fellow artists here who are so brave and courageous in telling their own stories of sexual assault and/or abuse because we are survivors, perhaps a little damaged in the process, but survivors nevertheless. Congratulations, everyone!
Some of the following art pieces contain descriptions of violence.
Cecilia Lee (she/her)
Cecilia did not provide an artist statement. To see more of her work, please visit her website through this link.
Claire McGlynn (she/her)
Ever since I could stand, I began to dance, when I started to speak, I began to sing, and the moment my parents plopped me on a high chair with crayola markers and paper, I began to draw. Art has supported me my entire life, as a means of digesting the world around me, an outlet to articulate the deepest parts of myself, and a way to bring healing into my life. Most importantly, I have been able to process my sexual trauma through making art. My work reaffirmed my experiences, before my brain could even comprehend or accept what was done to me. Each piece gave me insight on my hurt, and guided me towards healing.
As a survivor of sexual violence, it is hard maintaing a sense of control in all realms of my existence. I have watched my experience spread to the hands and mouths of untrustworthy people. I have been silenced and discouraged through the reporting process. I have felt helpless having my story be stripped from me-- powerless like in the face of an assault. Making art has nurtured and reminded me of my autonomy. With my work, I can control my story. I have reclaimed my body, mind, and spirit with art, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life
I have always had a strong love for the arts, especially creative writing. During my freshman year at college, I began to explore my creative impulses through guitar playing and songwriting. I found that through making music, I was able to face my trauma in a safe and productive way. I reached this level of catharsis that was cleansing and comforting. Making music made my voice louder, and harder to ignore. My work has always been confrontational. It is partly my effort to find closure, and a way for me to have my voice be heard. I bring all of my past experiences into my current work, and open up dialogues that I was never able to have with those who harmed me.
The meaning of my work is often found through the process of creation, versus starting with an initial idea or plan. Creating art is freeing and indulgent-- a finished piece is just as rewarding as the practice itself. I have learned through exploring all different art forms that mistakes don't halt the process of creation, but rather open up other realms of possibility. Having trust in my process has allowed my work to grow and change into pieces I never expected. That trust has allowed me to become more and more secure in myself and my existence.
The following writing includes depictions of violence.
For accessibility: a PDF file of the written submission can be accessed at this link
Ernie Brill (he/him)
Ernie Brill writes fiction and poetry about everyday people. His “I Looked Over Jordan and Other Stories” explores race and class among hospital workers. The actress Ruby Dee purchased, adapted and performed one of the stories” Crazy Hattie Enters Ice Age” for a PBS TV series.
Ernie Brill won a New York State Council For The Arts Fiction Grant.
Mr. Brill received his BA and MA in English from San Francisco
Mr. Brill has published widely fiction, poetry, and essays in the US and Canada (River Styx, Other Voices, Z, University of Minnesota, Prentice Hall Ontario Canada).
Ernie’s favorite writers include Virginia Woolf, Richard Wright, Mahmoud Darwish, Hyseoon Kim, Gwendolyn Brooks, Sterling A. Brown, and Pablo Neruda.
For accessibility: a PDF file of the written submission can be accessed at this link
Emily Monschauer (she/they)
In my mind, all three pieces exist with one another to tell my story of life-long trauma, especially around the word no. The writing is a reflection on multiple instances in my life where I encountered violence, beginning as a child and continuing through young adulthood. The collages followed my writing, as a way to visually express what I had been through and how I reacted. A Loss covers how violence occurs and is perpetuated in society, whereas No Tears, No Sorrow, explores my own reaction to violence, of being numb, angry, and at times chaotic.
The following video contains details of violence.
Gabriella Mykal (she/her)
Gabriella Mykal is a West Indian American visual artist and filmmaker. Through film, video installation, writing, and sculpture, her work treats personal trauma as an access point to humor and social hyperreality. She combines narrative and experimental techniques to explore vulnerability, femme friendship, romance, and sexual disfunction as grounds for political discourse.
Jason Montgomery (he/him)
Jason R. Montgomery, or JRM, is a Chicano/Indigenous Californian writer, painter, public artist, and playwright from El Centro, California. In 2016, along with Poet Alexandra Woolner, and illustrator Jen Wagner, JRM founded Attack Bear Press in Easthampton, MA. Jason’s work engages the cross-section of Chicano/Indigenous identity, cultural hybridization, post-colonial reconstruction, and political agency. His writing and visual art bridges the aesthetics and feel from the early cubist collage movement and the Russian abstract movement of the 1920s with living and historical Native/Indigenous Californian and Chicano art traditions to explore the Post-colonial narrative through active synthesis and guided (re)construction. Along with numerous public grants from the Masscultural Council and the Community Foundation of Western Mass, Jason is the recipient of both the New England Foundation for the Arts Spatial Justice for Public Arts, and Collective Imagination for Spatial Justice Grants. JRM’s art has been displayed at the Augusta Savage Gallery, the Creative Arts Workshop, Umass Boston and many others. JRM’s work has appeared in Split Lip Magazine, Storm Cellar, Ilanot Review, and other publications. They are also the founder of the annual Holyoke Community Ofrenda, the police transformation group A Knee is Not Enough (AKINE), and various public engagement projects.
Jiang Feng (open pronouns)
The fundamental inspiration for my work is love, its beauty and complexity, while thematically, my work revolves around gender, sexuality, and race. I create artwork as a process for healing and questioning and draw on theory from (non-)academic works because I expect myself to be an artist and thinker.
The ideology of my works is "Family-unfriendly."
This series juxtaposes the torn and dirty USian flag with the naked bodies of all genders, races, sexuality, nationality, and cultural backgrounds to capture their vulnerability, emotions, and strength, critiquing the United States as the dreamland and shelter for all humans. Moreover, I am interested in the body, not some mainstream beauty. I encourage people all to model nude because I am not interested in censoring any specific body parts. If they are part of the body, they deserve to be seen/there.
Jules Jones (they/them)
To live under a patriarchal kyriarchy is to become a survivor.
Born within a patriarchal kyriarchy, it seems we are destined to become survivors and sometimes perpetrators of institutional violence, beleaguered victims of a cruel, unjust world. As we come to terms with sexual and relational violence, survivorship can seem a fraught identity foisted on us, for some, infantilizing, for others, painful proof of free entry into a club that no one clamors to join. Some victims find this language empowering and use it as a signpost to welcome others into the fold- to bare witness together and ultimately find ways to cope, heal, and quite simply, survive. Its hard to place myself here, for many reasons. Are these tiny knicks that have roughened my skin over time on par with violent gashes that expose bone, so deep they barely seem to heal? Do old, faded scars count too? As an artist I create selfishly and obsessively, my appetite for art making often ravenous. Its been disarming to realize my work really speaks to people, imbued with a purpose and message often independent of my will or conscious mind. My work promotes divinity, protection, love, and the celebration of life. I hope other survivors find safety and nourishment in the worlds I seek to create.
The following play and script contain mentions of sexual assault, disordered eating, sexual coercion, and strong language.
Kate Franklin (she/her)
My name is Kate Franklin and I am a recent graduate of Northeastern University with a B.A. in Theatre. In the past year, I have utilized creative practice research coupled with my personal experience as a sexual assault survivor to write and direct an educational play addressing the campus sexual assault epidemic.
This play is deeply personal, yet as I have begun to immerse myself in the survivor population, I realize I am not alone in my experiences. This reality for many students is grossly universal, which is why this play is crucially important in twofold. Firstly, I want survivors to feel seen, validated, accompanied in healing and resiliency-survivorship. Secondly, I want to pull the curtain back, expose what thrives in secrecy, and break it wide open to allow for a new culture to grow, one that is: sex-positive, communicative, healthy, and free of shame. Let’s create that world together.
The following art piece contains depictions of violence and partial nudity.
Kate Gelbart (she/they)
"Evidence of the Night" is a personal project to display the feelings and circumstances of my sexual assault. I wanted to combine the aspects of a detective's investigation board with a children's scrapbook. The evidence consists of what I wore, my makeup, hair tools from a class I had just taught, and my phone displaying various methods to try and get help. The drawings on top of the images represent my inner pain and the exposure I felt and feel in creating this piece. I worked to push myself outside of my comfort zone both in how I create art and displaying my vulnerabilities more than I ever have in a piece.
“Evidence of the Night” 2020
Photograph, digital painting
Kate Zhydkova (she/her)
My work is a study of the pain experienced by victims of this or that form of violence. As a child, I witnessed domestic violence, and at the age of 16 I was faced with harassment from an adult man. This experience was repeated several times and only with the help of therapy I realized that this was not my fault.
In the process of creating these works, I immersed myself in my emotions and feelings. The confined space characterizes the persistent pain inside each person who has suffered from violence. The corner of the room that you want to hide in seems like a safe zone. But the demons have eaten you up inside. Red is a fine line between love and hate, passion and animal instinct. The repetitive footage in my video work symbolizes the looping of eternal pain that remains forever in the memory of the victim.
My goal is to show how the actions of one person can irreversibly affect the mental and emotional state of another.
The following art piece contains partial nudity.
Logan Rance (she/her)
Although I’ve come a long way in recovery, there are still times when the memories of my sexual assault invade my thoughts without consent. These moments have left me feeling naked and vulnerable, and at times I've wanted nothing more than to disappear. Despite the discomfort these moments sometimes cause, I’m embracing vulnerability and acknowledging the legitimacy of my assault without letting it define me. I'm opening up to the people I care about, and I'm recognizing that I don't have to work through this alone. After years spent hiding my face, I'm allowing myself to be seen. Expressing my recovery journey using art has helped me move forward when words have fallen short. Slowly, quietly, and at times with tremendous uncertainty, I am healing.
María (she/her)
Dreams speak in metaphors not because they can’t be literal, but because the literal would get in the way of what is really trying to be understood. This is why I am interested in abstraction through film photography. Techniques like collage or double exposure are a visual practice of stitching two versions of the truth, or showing how the memory of one place can appear in another. I think anyone who has struggled to untangle their own understanding of the truth can relate to this process.
Mary Anne Zammit (she/her)
The concept I try to convey behind my art is that every woman is the manifestation of the Goddess and is expressed through many aspects and roles in life. Women are the seats of creativity and has the power to create whether it is through Art, work and maternity. It is this urge to create which enables woman to share her power with the world.
This is the source of divine femminity and power. A woman decide whom to love and to whom she opens her flower of sexuality.
Women are learning to walk on their own and to stopping violence and abuse. In each woman, there is an endless world of mystery, of creation and light.
This is my tribute to my childhood friend, Cynthia B. One day when we were 11 years old and sitting in the back of the school bus, she shared with me that her father was sexually assaulting her. He threatened her if she told anyone. I lost touch with her soon after. I think about her well-being often, and how I wish I had told someone about her secret so she would be smiling instead in her school picture.
Molly Smith (they/them)
“Fuck Shame”
Feb. 2020
Charcoal and Acrylic on paper
This self-portrait is a celebration of my own liberation and how far I’ve come in my trauma recovery. I found myself meditating on the necessity of both lightness and darkness as I played with the shadows. The bold, softness of the charcoal mirrors how I see myself now.
Some of the following art pieces contain details of violence in the form of statistics.
Robert Markey (he/him)
The “Kitchen” painting is a remembrance from my childhood. “Superbowl Scoreboard” is a painting representing the performance project I did for 3 years in Grand Central Station, NYC; focused on the fact that more women are battered on Superbowl Sunday than any other day of the year. The two photos are from the “Witness to Violence” project that I did in 15 cities around the country. Survivors were invited to sign their name in black on the panel and friends or family of women who were killed by their partner were invited to write the woman’s name in red. There is more information about these projects on my website.
Rythea Lee (she/her & they/them)
Hi allies and fellow survivors. I am a survivor of severe, long-term childhood sexual abuse by my parents and their friends. When I was 24, I began remembering the abuse when I got a call from a person who lived with us when I was young, who told me about being sexually abused by my Father. The recognition was like an explosion to my body and mind. My world collapsed. It was like I became undone and found my sanity all at the same time.
When the memories first began, I tried naively to talk to my parents about it and they promptly disowned me. I have not seen them or my 5 siblings in 27 years. They tell people that I got lost in drug use.
I’ve been on a long, rewarding journey of recovery, one that is still continuing. I believe that making art is a big piece of why I am intact. I’ve been dancing, singing, painting, writing, and performing all my life. These tools have been my outlet and my joy. I’ve learned that humor and authenticity can be found through creative play, both in community and alone. I’m very lucky. I found my voice early on. I found my truth and somehow have had the courage to speak it out. Make no mistake though, the daily work of healing trauma and PTSD is the hardest thing a person can do! I have to continuously find my ground and safety-use a huge arsenal of tools to stay balanced. I still have flashbacks all the time. I grapple with terror and question my strength, BUT meanwhile, I’ve created a life I am very proud of. I have a beautiful, wild, and funny 9-year-old daughter, a partner that is truly my soul-mate, a livelihood that is fulfilling, meaningful, and sustaining, and a family of choice who have held me through it all.
I am blessed.
These videos are a practice I took up during the pandemic. I got a few friends together and we make 1-minute videos about our lives and share them. We often inspire each other on themes and style and editing. Here are 3 about being a survivor. I hope you enjoy them and share them.