| Canada Dreams |
Doctor Doctor helped me in my search for possible sexual abuse in my past. The painting
also helped me to begin to understand abuse. By that I mean that we are all assaulted by society.
Abuse is on billboards prompting men to higher levels of sexual activity, or with women being
encouraged to not trust their bodies during child birth, or with Natives being encouraged to give up
their traditions. I started with a photograph by Curtis of Hamatsa emerging from the woods, which
is already endowed with its own sense of dramatics.
I added to that by hinting at flames in the background to move energy up. I echoed that with the
hands that seem to lick up the side of his body. He is smashing headlong into the green of the
natural world, looking for salvation. His mouth is pink, inviting us into its deep hole while we are
violated by the great unknown.
Sexual abuse is violent. It is often blindly confused with pleasure and can rob people of the ability
to understand love.   |
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