Inspiration & Design Choices
Artist Alexey Brodovitch's use of motion blur, high contrast, and fragmented moments inspired my collage approach, where incomplete imagery symbolizes fractured memory, emotional turbulence, and the hidden struggle survivors face. I translated the blurred, ghostly qualities in his work about ballets into a metaphor for memory, fear, and dissociation in my imagery. This depicts assault through mood and movement rather than explicit depiction.
I chose red typography to convey the angry and violent energy of rape, along with dark grays and blacks to represent a feeling of darkness and hopelessness. The final 2 posts ("YOU ARE NOT ALONE" and "SILENCE ENDS WITH US") have a lighter background, showing that there's light at the end of the dark tunnel and that survivors are never alone.
WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE? Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act when consent is not freely given. It includes rape. WHAT IS RAPE? Rape is any penetration of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.
WHAT IS CONSENT? Consent is a mutual agreement to engage in sexual activity. It should be clear, voluntary, and communicated without pressure, manipulation, or fear. To be capable of giving consent, everyone involved must be of legal age, sober and alert, and under absolutely no coercion or threat.
Every 98 seconds, someone is the US is sexually assaulted. 91% of victims of rape and sexual assault are female. More than 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner.
A common misconception is that only women are raped, but men are often victims, too. Nearly 1 in 66 men have experienced a completed or attempted rape at some point in their lives. 93% of male survivors reported being raped by other men. Only 15% of men report sexual assault to the police. More than 1/4 of male victims of completed rape (27.8%) experienced their first rape when they were younger than 10 years old.
63% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police. Why don’t people report? SHAME: they feel like something is wrong with them. FEAR: of not being believed, of retribution, of judgement. UNCERTAINTY: they may not be aware of their rights, or they may not know that what they experienced was assault. AVOIDANCE: talking about a traumatic experience can be extremely difficult and painful. RAPE CULTURE: society has “normalized” rape through jokes. HOPELESSNESS: they might think that reporting is pointless because justice won’t be served. Out of every 1000 rapes, only about 50 lead to an arrest or conviction.
THE COST OF RAPE The effects of rape often persist long after an assault occurred. Physical consequences include bruising and genital injuries, STIs and STDs, pregnancy, recurring reproductive, gastrointestinal, cariovascular, and sexual health problems. Psychological consequences: 30% report PTSD symptoms 9 months after the rape, 33% contemplate suicide, 13% attempt suicide. Sexual violence is also costly. Recent estimates put the lifetime cost of rape at $122,461 per survivor, which includes medical care, lost work productivity, and criminal justice costs.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. If you have been sexually assaulted, please know it is never too late and you don’t have to deal with this alone. Many communities have advocates, therapists, and peer support available. The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
