For my creative project I decided to do paintings on sexual violence on campuses. I felt like this was a topic that was important to me as a college student and evoked a lot of emotion from me. Along with the two paintings I have written a poem to go with each piece. The poem that follows the painting is meant to go along with that piece. For the paintings I chose to do a black and white color scheme with the addition of red to evoke emotion and to represent the presence and pressure the event is putting on the woman. The first painting to me represents a time period very close to the event of the sexual violence. The girl is very much feeling the event and its weights, which is why the red surrounds her. In the second piece the woman has had time to process and deal with the events.Though the events are still part of her life, they do not consume her, which is why only her shirt is red. These are my feelings and interpretations about these pieces but I would love to hear others reactions to the pieces as well as the poems. Hope you enjoy!
This is the mattress that I bear
Life never claimed to be fair
He took my pride
I fight to take another stride
My face hidden from sight
I was his the for night
Lips pressed on my skin
Air rolling with the scent gin
Tears drips down my face
My soul ripped like precious lace
Never shall we be a pair
This is the mattress that I bear
This is the mattress that I bear
Broken glass, handled with care
New love has yet to find
Something that can permanently bind
Years between have now past
Memories of your touch last
Fears of the night you broke my soul
Leaving grasping to be whole
Pushing through the pain
No longer bound by the chain
Happiness no longer rare
This is the mattress that I bear
By Nicole Vanderwerff