The Scars Left Behind
This ongoing series of portraits were made shortly after one of my son's friends from school committed suicide. Since the inception of this project he as currently lost three more friends and a family member all under the age of sixteen. As teenage suicide becomes more prevalent it became apparent that I had to create something to bring awareness to how bullying profoundly affects everyone, young and old. When someone is bullied the scars it generates will haunt them for the rest of their lives, as they are left behind in the unconsciousness of our minds. The hurtful and insensitive words can penetrate even the most mundane of activities until you reach a breaking point. Children are not mentally ready to appropriately cope with the continuous name calling and insults thrown at them on a daily basis. Therefore, they succumb to depression, cutting, and in extreme cases suicide. Drawing inspiration from my own children who have been greatly impacted by the endless barrage of bullying allowed to occur in our public school system. I would like to give a voice to those who have suffered as my children have. I asked each participant to write their most hurtful "bully" word on a white board for the world to see and to face the camera. I asked them to think about how they felt when someone called them this word. Looking at the images, you are immediately aware of their pain and can recognize the discomfort in their eyes. This raises the question, “Why are we, as humans, inclined to wound one another in this way and how can we stop it?” |
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