Original artwork - Matters of Conscience series
Men and the justice system in this country (and many others) are failing women. Recent events demonstrate that rape culture thrives in the United States and elsewhere. At its core, it is a culture of patriarchy and intimidation, a set of social and institutional norms intended to keep women confined in the range of their behavior while placing no bounds on men. This intimidation coerces a woman to censor herself - her speech, her way of dressing, her actions and interactions. The necessity to be mindful of one's behavior at all times is far more than annoying, it is oppressive and unnecessarily constricting the lives of women - half the population both here and abroad. How will we ever realize our human and humanist potential if half of our population lives in fear of shining brightly? This artwork seeks to convey that men and our justice system are sustaining this oppression. "Shame" serves as a double entendre, a false emotion forced upon women who challenge this culture and the emotion to which men must open their hearts in order to take accountability and become agents of rape culture change. The central figure was appropriated from John William Godward's painting entitled Summer Idleness (1909), a title consistent with the long-standing posture of men and the Courts (sitting idly by) as this culture thrives.