Abstract
Free Coloring If I were
Victims of sex assault resorting to #MeToo posts have been attacked. This made Phoebe Man think empathy is important. She has made three types of line drawings for coloring: “If I were a victim”, “If I were a perpetrator” and “If I were a bystander”. Viewers can put themselves in the shoes of these 3 kinds of people. With reference to the coloring book “Secret Garden,” coloring the line drawings can experience healing and meditation. Besides, this topic needs to be discussed freely, at length. Her studio was opened to discuss the topic and for the public to color the pictures.
Why three different kinds of shoes?
People normally have sexual desires but why someone may sexually abuse? Finkelhor（1984）said there are 4 pre-conditions for occurrence of crime:
1. The potential sexual abuser must have some motivation to have sexual contacts with the victim.
2. The potential abuser must overcome his or her own inhibitions against illegal sexual activity.
3. An opportunity to engage in sexual activity with the victim should arise.
4. The resistance of the victim to the sexual activity must be overcome.
According to Finkelhor’s theory, to prevent crimes effectively, emphasis should be on the perpetrators. He or she is the one who takes the initiative. Is there any way to appeal to the perpetrator’s conscience? How to let them know there are consequences of crime? A generally safe environment and the bystanders’ help are also essential. Does the community provide a safe environment? Can people be informed what they can and should do if they think a crime is about to happen? The potential victims should also be informed. How to strengthen them psychological and physically?
Therefore the art work “Free Coloring If I were” has 3 sets and Phoebe hopes people can have more imagination to visualise themselves as one of these 3 kinds of people.
Why coloring?
In addition to the sense of healing the process of coloring can provide, the open studio activity can gather people together to discuss and do something together, which might be able to promote a deeper understanding of the issue. The coloring objects are flowers. Returning to nature can usually generate a feeling of calm. There is space on paper for people to express their views.
Socially Engaged Art
Art can be a process of exploring the self. It takes time to find the answers. For the issue of sexual assault, Phoebe admires #MeToo victims/survivors who have had the courage to tell their stories and she think their words should be valued and supported. For those who are not ready to speak out, they do not need to do so. They should take care of themselves first. Therefore, for this open studio activity, people can choose to simply fill in the color and/or write down their opinion. The title of the work is “Free Coloring” instead of “filling in the color” because the self exists and through art we find and free the original self.
Background
The sexual assaults cases have been raising over the years is supported by Annual Reports of Hong Kong Police. As many as 916 cases of indecent assault and 56 cases were reported in 2017 from January to October, an increase of almost 10% over the same period in 2016. Even this does not reflect the reality because most of the women do not report incidents of sexual assault. A research study has found that only 11% of victims reported to the police (Ng 2005). Does it mean that people don't care about these crimes? However, impacts on victims are negative and could be life-long in some cases. Below are the words from a sexual assault survivor.
KC, 50 years old, survivor of 2 rapes,
“ One thing I always think about being a victim, now a survivor, I live a life sentence. Once I was a victim the first time I was stripped of my freedom. I haven’t gotten that back in my fifty years. Freedom. They walk the streets and I live a life sentence. I’ll live it to the day I die – I can’t shake it.”
“When both rapes happened, I learned the impact of fear – there was a knife in the first one and the second was physically violent so … I’m always worrying ‘what if’ … so I try to avoid it at all cost.”
“You’re kind of like a leper, too, if you’ve been raped.”
(Reddington and Kreisel, 2009)
Why don’t victims report their cases? Why do they mention their experiences only through anonymous channels? Why is the crime rate raising? Why is it hard to convict the offenders? According to a report of the Hong Kong Police, from 2010 to June, 2013, police received reports of 383 cases of rape and 5117 cases of indecent assault of which perpetrators were convicted in only 75 cases of rape and 1476 cases of indecent assault. This translates into a conviction rate of 19.6% and 28.8% respectively. The rate is clearly so low. Why do perpetrators commit crime? Why do they commit it over and over again and cannot stop until they are caught by the police? A research study has found that almost all offenders have committed far more crimes than the number of times they have been charged. Some have committed such crimes even hundreds or thousands of times. (Yuen, Working group on Assessment and treatment of Sex Offender 2004)) There are biological, psychological, sociological and cultural reasons behind the crime. Mythologies of rape and indecent assault also contribute. Traditional gender roles and sexism are still common in Hong Kong. Art might be able to serve as a means to arouse the awareness of this issue.
Reference:
1. Ng, Irene. RainLily 466 Calls from the Victims: The problem of Sexual Violence Cannot Be Ignored. Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women, Jan. 2005.
2.Reddington, Frances P. and Kreisel, Betsy Wright (edited). Sexual assault : the victims, the perpetrators, and the criminal justice system, Durham, N.C. : Carolina Academic Press, 2009.
3. Basford, Johanna. Secret garden: an inky treasure hunt and coloring book. Laurence King Publishing, 2013.
4. Finkelhor, D. Child Sexual Abuse: New theory and research. New York: The Free Press, 1984. Print.
Exhibition
Why Not? Fotan Open Studios 20/21/27/28 - 1- 2018
Victims of sex assault resorting to #MeToo posts have been attacked. This made Phoebe Man think empathy is important. She has made three types of line drawings for coloring: “If I were a victim”, “If I were a perpetrator” and “If I were a bystander”. Viewers can put themselves in the shoes of these 3 kinds of people. With reference to the coloring book “Secret Garden,” coloring the line drawings can experience healing and meditation. Besides, this topic needs to be discussed freely, at length. Her studio was opened to discuss the topic and for the public to color the pictures.
Why three different kinds of shoes?
People normally have sexual desires but why someone may sexually abuse? Finkelhor（1984）said there are 4 pre-conditions for occurrence of crime:
1. The potential sexual abuser must have some motivation to have sexual contacts with the victim.
2. The potential abuser must overcome his or her own inhibitions against illegal sexual activity.
3. An opportunity to engage in sexual activity with the victim should arise.
4. The resistance of the victim to the sexual activity must be overcome.
According to Finkelhor’s theory, to prevent crimes effectively, emphasis should be on the perpetrators. He or she is the one who takes the initiative. Is there any way to appeal to the perpetrator’s conscience? How to let them know there are consequences of crime? A generally safe environment and the bystanders’ help are also essential. Does the community provide a safe environment? Can people be informed what they can and should do if they think a crime is about to happen? The potential victims should also be informed. How to strengthen them psychological and physically?
Therefore the art work “Free Coloring If I were” has 3 sets and Phoebe hopes people can have more imagination to visualise themselves as one of these 3 kinds of people.
Why coloring?
In addition to the sense of healing the process of coloring can provide, the open studio activity can gather people together to discuss and do something together, which might be able to promote a deeper understanding of the issue. The coloring objects are flowers. Returning to nature can usually generate a feeling of calm. There is space on paper for people to express their views.
Socially Engaged Art
Art can be a process of exploring the self. It takes time to find the answers. For the issue of sexual assault, Phoebe admires #MeToo victims/survivors who have had the courage to tell their stories and she think their words should be valued and supported. For those who are not ready to speak out, they do not need to do so. They should take care of themselves first. Therefore, for this open studio activity, people can choose to simply fill in the color and/or write down their opinion. The title of the work is “Free Coloring” instead of “filling in the color” because the self exists and through art we find and free the original self.
Background
The sexual assaults cases have been raising over the years is supported by Annual Reports of Hong Kong Police. As many as 916 cases of indecent assault and 56 cases were reported in 2017 from January to October, an increase of almost 10% over the same period in 2016. Even this does not reflect the reality because most of the women do not report incidents of sexual assault. A research study has found that only 11% of victims reported to the police (Ng 2005). Does it mean that people don't care about these crimes? However, impacts on victims are negative and could be life-long in some cases. Below are the words from a sexual assault survivor.
KC, 50 years old, survivor of 2 rapes,
“ One thing I always think about being a victim, now a survivor, I live a life sentence. Once I was a victim the first time I was stripped of my freedom. I haven’t gotten that back in my fifty years. Freedom. They walk the streets and I live a life sentence. I’ll live it to the day I die – I can’t shake it.”
“When both rapes happened, I learned the impact of fear – there was a knife in the first one and the second was physically violent so … I’m always worrying ‘what if’ … so I try to avoid it at all cost.”
“You’re kind of like a leper, too, if you’ve been raped.”
(Reddington and Kreisel, 2009)
Why don’t victims report their cases? Why do they mention their experiences only through anonymous channels? Why is the crime rate raising? Why is it hard to convict the offenders? According to a report of the Hong Kong Police, from 2010 to June, 2013, police received reports of 383 cases of rape and 5117 cases of indecent assault of which perpetrators were convicted in only 75 cases of rape and 1476 cases of indecent assault. This translates into a conviction rate of 19.6% and 28.8% respectively. The rate is clearly so low. Why do perpetrators commit crime? Why do they commit it over and over again and cannot stop until they are caught by the police? A research study has found that almost all offenders have committed far more crimes than the number of times they have been charged. Some have committed such crimes even hundreds or thousands of times. (Yuen, Working group on Assessment and treatment of Sex Offender 2004)) There are biological, psychological, sociological and cultural reasons behind the crime. Mythologies of rape and indecent assault also contribute. Traditional gender roles and sexism are still common in Hong Kong. Art might be able to serve as a means to arouse the awareness of this issue.
Reference:
1. Ng, Irene. RainLily 466 Calls from the Victims: The problem of Sexual Violence Cannot Be Ignored. Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women, Jan. 2005.
2.Reddington, Frances P. and Kreisel, Betsy Wright (edited). Sexual assault : the victims, the perpetrators, and the criminal justice system, Durham, N.C. : Carolina Academic Press, 2009.
3. Basford, Johanna. Secret garden: an inky treasure hunt and coloring book. Laurence King Publishing, 2013.
4. Finkelhor, D. Child Sexual Abuse: New theory and research. New York: The Free Press, 1984. Print.
Exhibition
Why Not? Fotan Open Studios 20/21/27/28 - 1- 2018
| Translated title of the contribution | 释色如果我是: 社会交往式艺术 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Jan 2018 |
| Event | Fotan Open Studio 2018 - “Why Not?” Art Workshop, Wah Lok Industrial Centre, Hong Kong, China Duration: 20 Jan 2018 → 28 Jan 2018 http://www.fotanstudios.org/studio.htm |