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Sexual assault has always been a prominent issue in society. Today, more than ever, it has become a major issue on college campuses nationwide, and has gained much needed attention in contemporary media. One of the main outlets in expressing the issue of sexual assault on college campuses has become art. Artists are able to voice their opinions through their art, they are forward and straight to the point rather than avoiding the harsh realities of the subject. The different works of art I have included all depict the different realities of an assault, either on a college campus or not. Some of the images are very striking in appearance, as well as their message, while others may not be as detailed, however, it does not mean they are less powerful. This exhibition should allow people to both see and understand the physical and emotional aspects of a sexual assault. I hope that this exhibit has the power to connect with the audience and inspire the need for change. As some of the pieces in the exhibit may resonate with the audience as they are relatable, specifically the piece, “Well, What Were You Wearing?” This piece erases the notion of the victim wearing something where they were “asking for it.” This exhibit should challenge preconceived stereotypes about sexual assault. The pieces should make one uncomfortable. Sexual assault is such a taboo topic that society has a hard time addressing. This exhibit forces people to look at the emotional and physical toll assault has and step back and say something needs to be done to fix this. One piece in the exhibit focuses on the question, “well, what were you wearing?” one that is often asked after someone learns of an assault. Other pieces question the role of alcohol in an assault, or the constant physical abuse one faces. Collectively, the pieces all relay the message of physical and emotional turmoil sexual assault can have on an individual. The pieces range in different mediums, from sculptures to photographs to videos, they all focus on one goal. The goal is to inform and inspire change in society and help promote awareness to help survivors speak out against sexual violence.

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Violet Overn
Fraternity House is a series of photographs taken by Violet Overn to show the “other side of college life.” The images depict girls passed out on the front lawn of different fraternity houses amid the aftermath of a night of partying. The female in this photograph lays among empty red solo cups, with her dress unkempt. One could assume that she has been sexually assaulted, as sexual assault is too often difficult to prove, which usually is complicated by the consumption of alcohol. Overn did not use any props in her photos, instead she relied on the litter that was already on the fraternity lawns on the University of Southern California’s campus. Overn also did not want to make it about her, she wanted it to be a symbol of the female body, rather than a self-portrait. Her pose helps send a powerful message of the need for social change on college campuses. The series itself also is reminiscent of crime scene photography, as it depicts the entire location of the shoot focused on the female subject. This photograph fits well with the other pieces in the gallery as it is located on an actual college campus where many sexual assaults may happen. It also offers insight in how the consumption of alcohol can hinder one’s ability to know what is happening which too often may lead to sexual assault.

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Violet Overn
Photograph

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Irresistible is a full-scale sculpture of a battered women with painted words that cover the body along with bruises and shoe marks that represent an abusive past relationship of the artist. The words written on the sculpture are phrases that were said to her while in an abusive relationship. Some of the phrases include things like, “look what you made me do,” or “if you don’t care about yourself, how do you expect others to-you dumb bitch.” Although most of the other pieces I have put in my exhibition are associated with sexual assault, William’s sculpture includes other aspects of assault like the emotional and physical abuse. In order to see all of the statements that cover the body you need to walk around the entire piece and read them. The piece brings about a consciousness awareness, in that if you see a woman physically battered and verbally assaulted you must do something to stop the abuse. In seeing the sculpture from all angles, viewers can see that every inch of a woman’s body is tortured whether physical or emotional. This sculpture fits well with the other pieces in the exhibit as it gives another perspective to sexual assault, that it leaves a woman helpless after emotional and physical turmoil.

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Sue Williams
Rubber sculpture

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Sue Williams
Rubber sculpture

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"Til It Happens to You" is a song produced and performed by Lady Gaga, written for the documentary film The Hunting Ground, which exposes the realities of campus rape in the United States. The song and music video highlights the pain of sexual assault, and asks the audience to try and understand the emotional turmoil the victims go through. The video ends on a cautionary note about the effects that can happen after the assault takes place and finding solidarity in family and friends. In a different form, the video is effective in revealing the realities of sexual assault, specifically on college campuses, including the aftermath of such event. The black and white of the video connotes a serious tone, that this issue needs to be addressed. The difference in actors portray that sexual assault can happen to anyone under any circumstances. The use of statistics also makes the audience think about how relevant this problem is, and hopefully inspire a social change to take a stance about violence against women and sexual assault.

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Lady Gaga
Video

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Lady Gaga - Til It Happens To You (Official Music Video)

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While a student at the University of Iowa, Ana Mendieta created a response to a brutal and highly publicized rape and murder of another student, Sara Ann Otten. The photograph is supposed to portray the real experience of the brutal attack. The woman is stripped from the waist down and bent over a table, blood is smeared over and drips down her buttocks, thighs, and calves, implying a violent attack. This part of her body is illuminated by a bright light, which also highlights the table and the bloodied clothes on the floor. This work highlights violence against women and demonstrates the vulnerability of the victim, as she is exposed helpless over a table. In relation to the other works in the exhibit, it creates a relationship between the audience and the victim, as most of the other works I have chosen. Although the subject is not looking directly at the audience, it positions the audience to complete the identification of the victim by considering themselves in relation to issues such as rape and violence against women.

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Ana Mendieta
Photograph

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Curated by: Madeline Lacey

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After the release Brock Turner from Jail, well known for his alleged sexual assault at Stanford University, photographer Yana Mazurkevich published a series of photos on sexual assault titled “It Happens.” The photographs in the series demonstrate the vivid details of what sexual violence can look like. Each of the photos is paired with a quote from the survivor of the assault. The survivor’s quotes suggest that assaults can take place anywhere, including at home, a party, after prom and even during the process of getting a tattoo. The photo I chose to include is a female victim with two perpetrators, the victim is lying helpless on what appears to be a dorm room bed surrounded by red cups which implies that alcohol is involved. The female victim has a fixed gaze on the audience, “you are forced to look at the subject and put the pieces together: why are they looking so lifeless? Maybe they’re looking at you for help,” said Mazurkevich. The gaze makes the image very powerful as you are put in the position to help the victim and prevent other assaults that could possibly occur in the future. This image communicates the authenticity of a sexual assault, “it happens without a reason,” as it is paired with quotes from survivors and the victim’s gaze is fixed on the audience begging for help.

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Yana Mazurkevich

Photograph

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So often survivors of sexual assault are asked the question, “what were you wearing?” Photographer student Katherine Cambareri decided to challenge this question in which people place the blame on the victim. I chose to include this work of art because usually people think that a victim must be wearing something provocative to be sexually assaulted, however this photo series proves that theory wrong. The photo I chose is a simple white V-neck t-shirt, something that does not scream provocative at all. Placed against a black backdrop, the clothing items prove the injustices that many individuals face and even held accountable for. Cambareri attempts to show in her images that it is an inaccurate assumption that people who are sexually assaulted wear revealing clothing, “it’s a harmful one that downplays the fact that the person at fault is always the perpetrator, and never the victim of assault,” said Katherine in an interview with the Huffington Post. This image contributes to the rest of the exhibition as it is supposed to make one uncomfortable, as we have these preconceived notions that the victims were probably “asking for it,” but this proves that theory wrong. It is a different way of showing the authenticity of sexual assault, that it can happen to anyone anywhere.

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Katherine Cambareri
Photograph