Over the weekend we learned that the Supreme Court of the US had overturned the Roe v Wade decision. I was despairing and enraged. The consequences of this decision for so many women, in so many ways - it is not just about abortion - are immense. The surveilling of women's bodies and lives and decisions and choices is unconscionable. I wept silent tears, and felt heart-sick once more, for women and this world.
For the past few months I have been re-working my Fragile Gains work from 2014-2015, this time exploring it with the fragility of eggshells.
I started out with colour, and pondered how they should stand. I had originally been playing with words about eggs; but then it became clear that the fragility was once again, about women's rights and gains.
And how sad I was when I realised just how relevant this one still was.
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So today, I completed the set of seven fragile gains. I am yet to finalise how they will be fully presented, but they will be teetering. As are we all.
And by the end of today I was playing with the notion of individual ones, in a wee box...
It is so hard to work out what the next steps can possibly be; but solidarity, protest and persisting will surely be at the heart of it.
Thank you for your comments. Friday, I felt great anger. Today, I feel a empty and fragile as those egg shells. And I also fear the ripples from this decision on same sex marriage, IVF treatments and the desire of many to control the rest of us. So it will be a few days, then I'll put on my big girl pants and and work at what you suggest, solidarity, protest and persistence. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteDear BobbieAnn, I too vacillate between emptiness, despondency, fragility - and overwhelming rage, anger and fury. Maybe I will find a mid-point, but I will ry to take care on the empty days, and find ways to express my fury. I hope you too can find ways through this onslaught; women across the world are with you. Go well.
DeleteThis harkens back to the dark days of McCarthy, when Americans sneaked around, calling out friends and family...
DeletePlease, America, stand up for your rights while you still have some to fight for!
Dark days indeed...
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