After several false starts, I finally finished my piece for Monica's project...aDRESSing the Situation...at Girl Gone Thread Wild. This was my third (and final) "go" at it. Perhaps it's not surprising that I found the topic challenging. There was obviously a need for sensitivity yet I wanted the message to come across loud and clear.
You Are Not Forgotten
I layered dead leaves, with their prominent skeletons, over the woman's torso, representing all that physically remains of these women. Behind the leaves are wings from the Mexican Folk Art symbol...the winged corazon (winged heart), to show that their courage and their spirit lives on.
On the dress itself, I layered the words "you are not forgotten". I chose to show the figure without a face to better represent the entire group of murdered women, who have slipped into anonymity without receiving the attention they so deserve. (According to Amnesty International,and as impossible as it is to comprehend, as of February 2005 more than 800 bodies had been found, and over 3000 women were still missing) This was also intended to bring attention to the dress itself, as this was the focus of the project. I chose a very elegant and feminine dress to emphasize that no matter what our economic circumstances in life, our feminine energy is a strong and powerful force in the world...elegance in it's truest form.
A huge thank you to Monica, who initiated this project for no other reason than that she cared and wanted the women of Jaurez, Mexico to know that. Hopefully Stampington will decide to take it to the next level of awareness.
