SEEN + HEARD
Conversations about Sexual Assault, Abuse and Rape
Until #MeToo, people who were molested, raped, assaulted, or harassed were rarely seen and less frequently heard. News cycles change, and I wanted to keep the conversation visible and loud. I sent emails to friends asking for participants willing to be photographed in my studio telling of their experience and making a short audio giving voice to the feelings kept secret for too long. Recordings made it possible for those living outside of Cleveland to take part in this project.
Each person wore a white tee shirt, and I used a consistent lighting set-up painting a sameness of appearance. I didn’t want any distractions from the evolving narrative. Eye contact was difficult for some. Sessions often began with nervous laughter, and tears streaked faces when the mask of secret keeping was removed. Details of being molested by a family member, awakened in the night to rape, sexually harassed in the workplace, and molested during summer camp filled the studio. I felt angry, sad, numb, speechless, and ashamed that I hadn’t done more sooner. I listen to the audio, revisiting the images feeling both protective and a profound responsibility for the trust given to me.
This exhibit creates a conversation from the still images and participant's narratives. This is accomplished by dispersing the voices throughout the space, heard as the viewer moves through the installation emanating from directional speakers or by a player with headphones which accompany this work. Photographs of the telling, accompanied by recordings, comprise “Seen + Heard,” a series of photographs of men and women sharing details of sexual abuse and assault, ending the silence. This exhibition bears witness - for their story cannot be heard until we stop and listen.
“I’ve told my story in words both written and spoken, and this is one way of being seen. Yet, being photographed, seeing my image as the woman who was molested as a child, who has survived PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts...well, that’s helped me to connect the physical body/person to the story which has lived in my invisible mind for decades. It’s made visible that which was invisible.” — Ginny
Honey Lazar, Photographer
Lauren Clune, Sound Artist
Exhibition Details:
Twenty-six people told their stories
The stories are seen in a series of either five or seven 16”x24” photographs
Audio recordings of the subjects’ experiences are heard through directional speakers throughout the exhibition
(Headphones available for hearing complete narratives)
A printed catalogue features everyone photographed
Photographer and participants are available for gallery talks
“It was critical for me to shed the shame of rape and speak out. I woke up as he was groping me and I froze. I’m not a physically weak woman, and I always thought I’d fight if this happened to me. Instead, I found myself frozen, choking on my scream as he raped me. We do not deserve to be shamed. We deserve to be seen and heard.” — Alisa