For the last three years I have been working on an art installation titled When Caged Birds Sing. The work consists of nine life size sculptures that each begin with a core six foot steel form and then are welded or/and joined with parts made from resin, plaster, fabric and wood as well as found objects. I use oil paints, mediums, and encaustics to finish many of the surfaces and add detail to the final forms. This work is meant to bring awareness to the pain and suffering of millions of women whose basic human rights are being abused throughout the world in this enlightened year of 2015. The work relies on visual and written communication to tell individual stories of gender-based abuse caused by horrific injustice. The stories are tragic and painful to witness and the means of expression that I have chosen to convey their truths are raw, straightforward and not always easy to view or to read about. I want the viewer to identify with the suffering of these women and feel their pain. The work is as confrontational as the issues themselves. Once confronted with these emotional stories and the human rights violations that they represent, it is my hope that the viewer will be moved to further investigate the cultural and legal realities that allow for the prevalence of such mistreatment of women and are inspired to take action that will lead to change.
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