The Perception Project

Conflict Zone" by Nancy Willis

I was first introduced to Nadia Murad when I saw her on 60 Minutes in 2014, giving anonymous testimony about her capture, enslavement and escape from ISIS. I felt helpless and overwhelmed with empathy and continued to follow the story of the Yazidis, and the ISIS-led genocide against them.

I read Nadia’s book, The Last Girl, which was a first hand account of life before, during and after ISIS. In May 2018, I went to London to meet with Nadia Murad and help her create a monotype to add to the project.

During the art making process, I was fulfilling something within me, which was to give her some relief from the weight and grief that she carries, through an art making process. To not be Nadia Murad, victim, activist, role model, celebrity…but be Nadia from Kocho, with her brother and her sister, or Nadia, a girl playing around with printmaking.

She created an image based on a photo in her book. It is of Nadia, her sister Katherine and brother Hezni on the family tractor. I knew then I wanted to paint the same image and asked her permission to do so. I wanted to give her back some of what she lost, her innocence, her childhood and family security, and safe on the family farm.

Since then, Nadia has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and continues to speak out relentlessly against strategies of war aimed at harming women and children. Her fearlessness in turning trauma into activism is inspiring.

"Underwater" by Chris Ammon

My work is about exploring the meanings of perceptions. I use to explore the deeper meanings of a narrative by using the subjects, objects, and relationships to engage the .

As I listened to my Muse’s I was moved by their ability to hold onto their sanity and clarity of mind throughout many years of intense . It made me think of treading , being immersed in the struggle yet refusing to sink or lose sight of the . I wonder if they felt at times like they were drowning, and whether they knew that they were actually ascending towards the and . The transition from a denser medium like water, into a lighter medium such as air, is full of esoteric meaning, but above all symbolizes transcendence. I saw this when my shared their story.

I chose black and white because all of my work is in black and white, and for its subjective qualities. Working with lets my mind focus on the metaphysical aspects of a story, and allows the narrative to reveal itself organically, on its own terms.

Created for 2019 "Shifting Perspectives on Trauma"

Strength by Jean Marchese Gallagher

As long as I’ve been an , I’ve expressed what I thought and felt through . This is the first time I’ve been a listener who was given a list of visual signifiers that were as images in that . As I did listen to the story--moving from to and finally self-actualization—I felt myself becoming that person experiencing that . I had to not use that I chose, but a new semiotic language that I had to organize and prioritize that reflected a for : the love of , , and . The story—spanning decades of time-- ended with a strong belief in and hope for the future, so I felt it was important to make a of strength and . My hope is that this will serve as a symbol of the for this individual and will serve to , when necessary, when struggles interfere.

Created for 2019 "Shifting Perspectives on Trauma"

This Place Exists by Travis Flack

When you think about the word " ", it can mean a variety of things. Most often it refers to the of somewhere or something that sticks out and has to any one person. However, “place" can also refer to a state of being. You can be in a good or bad place or otherwise, compartmentalizing somewhere you’ve been.

For this , I chose to both the ideas of place in how they affected my . Through and , they reached a place that still requires a great deal of practice to stay in. I found a lot of similarities with regard to the natural of vast Southern and how it exists - hard conditions but still teeming with . We had talked about and trees and birds. We talked about how life will be there the next day and the day after that. My muse has been through an ordeal; traversing rough mental and still maintaining a life outside of all of it with such perseverance that I’m reminded of a red - there is still a lot of love in between the in spite of itself.

By combining two images to form a completely fictional place I intended to create this loving landscape through their . A homage to a specific state of being. Off in the distance trees grow, thrives and living things still prevail no matter what climate might be occurring. What I took from my muse’s story was one of through nature, family and time. These important things build a foundation to , and through the weathering of this composite we are reminded that time helps this process.

I feel so incredibly honored to be able to participate in such a unique and experience. I am thankful to my muse for sharing their story and allowing me to create something so .

Created for 2019 "Shifting Perspectives on Trauma"

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