This piece represents my journey as a survivor of sexual assault. The lotus flower symbolizes strength over adversity, as the seed must grow in the mud and up through the water to bloom. Originally created for the Healing Fibers exhibition, then shown in Survivor Expressions, the threads winding together to knit the shattered pieces of the image together and into the flower represent all those people that have supported me in the time since.
I created this piece for Artsworcester show “Inside Voices”, which encouraged artists to reflect on the experience of the isolation of the pandemic. One of the most profound struggles I’ve experienced is one I know many can relate to – the heartbreak of seeing your children sad as their world shut down, and being powerless as a parent to “make it better”. My son posed for this piece, with rollercoasters, baseball, and school equations in the background locked away while he could only look out the window….
I don’t believe any woman chooses to end a pregnancy lightly. Without the protection of Roe vs Wade, women who cannot financially support a child, who are too young to be a mother without sacrificing their future, who learn that their pregnancy isn’t viable or may endanger their person safety or even be life threatening, as well as those who became pregnant through assault or incest will have their lives irreparably altered. Women’s lives will be lost by illegal and dangerous procedures, or by a potentially fatal pregnancy itself, not to mention that even a wanted pregnancy is twenty times more deadly to women than abortion. I deeply value all life, but the life of an unborn child should not be more important than its mother’s. Government regulation of a woman’s body is against the spirit of democracy in this country, where more than 70% support pro-choice, across political parties, yet the Supreme Court has chosen to ignore the desires of the people in favor of control and power over women.
Portland Sky 2023
Acrylic and mixed media collage for the ArtsWorcester’s Impact show. This years theme explores man’s relationship to the natural world. This piece is inspired by two of the Fitchburg Art Museums pieces – “Bulldoze Slash, Tillamook Oregon” and “Gulf Piles”. I was born in OR and have family still there. In this piece Mt Hood dominates the Portland skyline, but all natural elements are replaced by trash, where the man made buildings and road are made up of natural materials. Thank you to my cousin Darrell Gossett for providing some images to work from.
MJLotus Designs 