Photo Essay

Paint

            One in four women in the United States have been victims of domestic violence. Every two minutes, someone is sexually assaulted. We are assaulted not only in this physical way, but also by the media. Pictures of women whose beauty and pant size is unattainable greet us from magazines, televisions, advertisements and our laptops. We strive to morph into someone else’s beauty. We contort ourselves to become someone we’re not, harming our self-confidence and our true inner worth.

            We need not be a statistic. Beauty is more than meets the eye. We may be victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t inherently valuable. I don’t know a person, male or female, who hasn’t been affected in some way by these issues. Just like this girl in the picture, we don’t have to taint our sexuality or our femininity with our lack of self-worth. Regardless of what factors may paint our picture a little dark at some points in our life, they do not make up the entire portrait. They are simply strokes on the canvas, a shadow that defines a strong jaw and fierceness in the eye.

            The girl in these photos is stunning. She doesn’t see it, but she is. She has a loving boyfriend and family and friends that tell her that all the time, but she doesn’t see it. She compares herself to people she sees on the street, airbrushed photos on the pages of magazines and faces on the movie screen. Her own self doubt clouds and distorts the reflection she sees in the mirror. I took these photos in an attempt to capture her beauty. I wanted her to see what everyone else does, but to also see what her own hand is capable of doing to that beauty. She is not only visually attractive, but also intellectually stunning. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that it is simply his or her full lips or striking nose that makes them appealing to the masses. Intelligence, courage and kindness shine through your physical features. Self-confidence and perseverance appear as a gleam in the eye. Trustworthiness and aptitude appear along the jaw line. Compassion appears at the corners of the lips. These many pigments and oils, a masterpiece of mediums, paint us. If only each of us could see how the events in our lives make our picture even richer.

            For my final project, I wish to take photos of several women I know, with paint representing the different negative aspects of their lives and how it shapes them as a person. I know many women that have been victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including myself, but I don’t see this as a defining characteristic of my life. Instead, I view these experiences as pieces that simply make up the whole picture. I hope to convey their stories with a photo, which will be more difficult than writing their biographies, I fear.