Intimate Terrorism
Intimate Terrorism series looks to investigate the in between moments of survival when trapped in a violent relationship. It's an intimate look at the negotiation of space and privacy when your perpetrator shares your bed.
Intimate Terrorism is a collaboration with artist Elan Cadiz and Amatus, 2020.
The title came from an article in the New York Times entitled, A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide written by Amanda Taub.
The article highlighted how restrictions during quarantine had caused more severe and dangerous violence in homes. Taub stated, "Mounting data suggests that domestic abuse is acting like an opportunistic infection, flourishing in the conditions created by the pandemic.
There was every reason to believe that the restrictions imposed to keep the virus from spreading would have such an effect, said Marianne Hester, a Bristol University sociologist who studies abusive relationships. Domestic violence goes up whenever families spend more time together, such as the Christmas and summer vacations, she said.
Now, with families in lockdown worldwide, hotlines are lighting up with abuse reports, leaving governments trying to address a crisis that experts say they should have seen coming." "As quarantines take effect around the world, that kind of “intimate terrorism” — a term many experts prefer for domestic violence — is flourishing."
This article lead me to others as well as stories of women, wives, mothers, daughters and sons that had experienced horrific violence due by their intimate partner. I was reminded of a cherished quote by Audre Lorde. In her book, Sister Outsider, Man Child: A Black Lesbian Feminist's Response*, she beautifully stated, "Men who are afraid to feel must keep women around to do their feeling for them while dismissing us for the same supposedly "inferior" capacity to feel deeply. But in this way also, men deny themselves their own essential humanity, becoming trapped in dependency and fear." (p74)
AMATUS, was born on the island of St. Lucia, spent his adolescent life in Flatbush, Brooklyn, NYC and currently resides in Mount Vernon. His interests are multifaceted and intertwined, folding into each other and creating art that is representative of his experiences, ideas and self discovery. More about Amatus and his work can be found on his website. www.boyandsheep.studio
