The Silencing
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2010
Graphite on paper
12" x 10"
Symbolism
A strong, old man is sitting on a broken sculpture of a child and woman. His foot rests on the child’s head while his hand rests on the woman’s. This painting symbolizes the result of abuse inflicted on women and children - whether it happens within families or a wider cultural phenomenon.
The man symbolizes the destructive belief that women and children are "less than" - a belief that has been acted upon throughout history. The child symbolizes innocence. The woman symbolizes all who grew up in these situations. Both eventually lose their voice out of fear - fear of a person, fear of not being accepted, and religious fear. The child grows up to either be abused or become the abuser - both are a silencing of who they truly are.
About
This piece was created partially as a study and partially from imagination.
It was drawn in Seeg, Germany.