Arabella Pierce
Corps étranger (1994) by Mona Hatoum is a 3-minute video containing endoscopic footage of the artist's inner organs, accompanied by an audio track of her heartbeat and breathing. The piece explores themes such as vulnerability, the feeling of alienation within one's own body (hence the translated version of the name; Foreign Body) as well as the fragility of the self. The work relates to trauma responses as traumatized persons often feel isolated, or aleinated, from their peers or even their own body, especially in the case of childhood traumas. In the cases of PTSD, panic attacks, or anxiety attacks, it's common to feel like one's body is betraying the mind.
Silueta Series (1973-1980) by Ana Mendieta is a series created by the artist where she used her silhouette in combination with nature to explore themes of feminity, connection to the Earth, loss and belonging, and displacement (as a Cuban refugee). It is speculated that the Earth itself was representative of a witness to trauma, or a metaphor for its impact as well as the process of healing. The literal holding of the artist's form, as well as the absence made visual by the voids, holds the imprint of the suffering she faced. Traumas can also be extremely difficult to express through verbal language; in the Silueta Series, words are not needed. This powerful expression of pain bypasses the needs for language, and presents a universal understanding for the connection between those who have experienced similar situations.
The piece "Baghdad, March 5th 2007" by Jeremy Deller is a direct response to the traumatic bombing of Baghdad, and presents the direct material consequences of such a violent act. The remains of the car being brought to a wider audience to experience evokes the heavy weight of human loss and cost of violence, allowing them to bear witness to the trauma experienced by the people of Baghdad. It invites viewers to see a physical manifestation or representation of how experiencing traumatic events can drastically change a person; through the representative form of the car. The object serves not only as a memorial, but also as a testament to the pain experienced that day and long after.
"Hold Your Beliefs Lightly" by Grayson Perry (2012) does not directly depict a specific traumatic event, but instead deals with the themes of trauma through exploring rigid ideologies, societal structures, and pressures that can contribute to traumatic experiences and how they are processed in the human mind. His use of irony combined with his engagement with social issues creates a space for reflection on the fragility of belief systems (hence the title of the piece) and the importance of empathy in a world riddled with conflict and trauma.
After a grueling battle with depression in the 1990s, Tracey Emin displayed "My Bed" in 1998, which literally contains her unmade bed and the surrounding mess, a literal physical manifestation a period of intense emotional distress, isolation, depression, and the messy realities of dealing with mental illness. The instillation includes the unseen, often looked-over and unglamorous situations that people with depression face, being so confined within their own minds that they cannot care for themselves or their surroundings. The bed sits among stained sheets, cigarrette butts, used condoms, trash wrappers; all reflective of how Tracey withdrew herself from the world in a struggle for survival. By putting her own suffering on display, she allows herself to be vulnerable, creating space for empathy and recognition-- letting others like her know that they are not alone-- potentially lessening the crushing isolation that trauma can bring.
This piece, "Untitled (Stranger in the Village/Hands #1)" by Glenn Ligon (1990) visualizes the experience of expressing the psychological and social traumas of racial identity as well as the historical weight of systematic oppression. Adapted from James Baldwin's essay "Stranger in the Village" (1953), the background text immediately points to the experience of "otherness," or being percieved as an outsider, within a dominant culture. Much like the Silueta Series, the feeling of alienation can be deeply wounding, especially for a black man like Ligon in America, infamously known for its dark history in systematic racism, slavery, and oppression towards black people. Bearing witness to the ongoing, often invisible, trauma of racism is a theme many are not comfortable discussing, but is necessary to do so in order to begin the healing process.
The "Cut Paper Silhouettes" series, produced in the mid-1990s by Kara Walker, is seen as a powerful but unsettling way of expressing racial traumas through art, particularly the historical/ongoing trauma of slavery, racism, and their complex psychological/social legacies. Her distinctive unflinching style portrays scenes from the Antebellum south, with exaggerated figures that reflect racial stereotypes and grotesque scenes of the violence, exploitation, and inherent dehumanization practiced by the slave system. The stark black-and-white imagery creates two things: shadow and absence. There is little detail in the silhouettes apart from their outline; a technique utilized to expose the dehumanization and erasure necessary to "justify" the practice of slavery. The normalization of these disgusting practices within the system are exposed in a way that forces present-day viewers to confront and grapple an uncomfortable past, much like Glenn Ligon's work, to disrupt the complacency often faced in response to "invisible" traumas such as the impact of slavery and systematic oppression.
Christian Boltanski's "Personnes" (French translation "People" or "No one") (2010) focuses on themes of loss, anonymity, absence, and the overwhelming scale of human suffering in the context of historical atrocities such as the Holocaust. The sheer number of discarded remnants is a representative form of the vast number of lives lost, and their unidentifiable nature can be recognized as the anonymity of the victims, reduced to a number. The dehumanization inherent in mass violence combined with the visualized scale of loss highlights the void left by trauma and underscores the brutal interruption of innocent lives, and forces the viewers to confront this great cost of violence and loss.
Doris Salcedo's "Shibboleth" (2007) creates a physical manifestation of the wound trauma can leave, represented by a large crack in the gallery floor. The division explores themes of rupture, the enduring presence of sociopolitical injustices (particularly those related to racism, colonialization, and the marginalism of certain groups). The crack is not a clean, even break; rather, it is jagged, and dark, representative of the pain and anger that unresolved issues can inflict on a person's mind. Even past the instillation's date, the repairing of the floor leaves a noticeable scar-- another echo of the lasting scar left on an indivudual's experiences and perspectives after the initial event. Furthermore, the title of the piece references a custom used to distinguish members of a group from outsiders. The biblical story the word is derived from recalls how the word "Shibboleth" was used to identify group members, and kill those who did not pronounce it correctly. This connection further underscores the societal pains of language and cultural barriers faced by minorities in a society dominated by a different group.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres's 1991 piece "Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) is a 175-lb instillation of brightly-colored candies that visitors are invited to take. 175 lbs was the healthy weight of Felix's partner, Ross Laycock, before he was diagnosed with AIDs. As viewers take the candy, the pile's weight diminishes, mirroring how the disease caused Ross to rapidly lose weight and waste away before his eventual death. The sweet candies can be tied to fond memories of a loved one, and the act of taking them creates a shared experience of loss and rememberance, invoking the intimacy of shared grief. Though the candy pile will always diminish and eventually be replenished, life cannot; an ironic representation of the fragility and ephemeral nature of life. When the pile does empty, it becomes a metaphor for the void of death: making Ross's absence a tangible presence. The AIDs epidemic was a period of shared trauma experienced by the LGBTQ+ community, which still has lasting effects on stigmas and stereotypes today.
David Wonjarowicz's 1998/1989 work "Untitled (Falling Buffalos) expresses the trauma of loss coupled with the feeling of being powerless in the face of overwhelming and oppressing systematic forces, particularly in the context of the AIDs crisis. The image of the buffalos plummeting to their death is seen as a metaphor for descent into chaos/a loss of control due to forces outside of one's own power. Additionally, the scene of multiple buffalos reflects the mass loss of life in the LGBTQ+ community in the AIDs crisis due to social neglect and hostility surrounding both the disease and the community itself. Though the image is silent and still, its visual impact is immense, underscoring the sudden and brutal impact which trauma can inflict on one's life.
"Spider" (1996-1997) by Louise Bourgeois explores themes of childhood anxieties, familial dynamics, social responsibilities, and feelings of vulnerability vs protection. The spider represents Louise's mother, in two deeply personal and reflective ways: on one hand, she can be seen as nurturing, protecting, much like a spider spinning and caring for its eggs. On the opposing side, Louise felt trapped, entangled, or even threatened by the maternal web created by her mother, the spider. This two-sided coin reflects the complexities of childhood dependence, combined with the sheer scale of the sculpture in comparison to the viewer, which dwarfs them in size, making them feel vulnerable in a large and threatening world. In another sense, the spider's entangling web reflects the complicated nature of family dynamics, with the interconnected threads mirroring familial bonds, but also simulatenously serving the purpose of ensnaring prey. By giving these feelings a tangible (and quite monumental) form, Louise's sculpture becomes a personal vessel for deeply personal emotions that can be difficult to verbalize.
"Hang Up" (1966) by Eva Hesse expresses trauma through themes of confinement, the physical manifestation of absence, and the fragile experience of human nature in the face of emotional distress. The empty frame is often interpreted as void, the space where something "should be," but isn't, which is something often felt by trauma victims; emptiness, loss, the sense that something "is missing" after experiencing a traumatic event. Furthermore, victims often feel trapped by their circumstances, like they will never be more than their experiences. This is represented by the empty frame as well, and the three-dimensional space entrapped in the protruding cord. The limp cord, with its fragile and impermanent nature, can be seen as a physical manifestation of feelings associated with trauma recovery: emptiness, disconnection, the feeling that the world no longer makes sense, vulnerability, and altogether, the absence of something vital.
"Walking Man I" by Alberto Giacometti, produced in 1960, marks the psychological and existential feelings of isolation, fragility, and the struggle for existence in a post-war world, ridden with profound loss and uncertainty. The almost skeletal figure, in all its fragility, is utterly alone, seemingly caught on a neverending journey to nowhere. The posture of the figure suggests that it is trudging, struggling to move under the burden of existence, an experience most trauma victims face after a life changing event, leaving the familiar world destabalized, skewing all sense of direction and belonging. Though the figure has been stripped of all but its form, it still trudges forward; clinging to purpose and hope for better days. This representation of human resilience is a powerful response to the post-war world, stripping away the superficialities to reveal the fundamental goal: to keep moving forward despite what you have been through in the past.
Francis Bacon's 1944 work "Three Studies for a Crucifixion" reflects on the traumas of both physical and psychological suffering along with the raw, primal agony inherent in violence. The piece directly references the biblical crucifixion, but Bacon's interpretation includes the grotesque distortion of the human form, emphasizing the brutal experience of human pain. The figures in his triptych are not idealized or romanticized; they are flayed, broken, contorted, screaming out in extreme pain and profound suffering in such a way that their trauma is palpable to the viewer. Additionally, the isolating nature of the frame emphasizes how individuals feel trapped in their own pain and suffering, unable to escape their own minds due to the overwhelming and everpresent nature of traumatic experiences.
The 1937 piece "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso is a direct response to the trauma of war, violence against civillians, and the senseless suffering as a result of the Spanish bombing of the town Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso began working on the mural shortly after the initial event, making it raw and visceral, as opposed to exploring the lasting effects of a traumatic experience. The piece is characterized by its chaotic composition of overlapping figures, mirroring the chaos and disruption caused by the bombing. Though it is a reaction to a specific event, the depcitions of characters can be seen as universal symbols of suffering: weeping mothers holding their dead children, fallen warriors, and the archetypal figures that embody pain, grief, and brutality of war experienced by civillians and bystanders across cultures. The absence of depiction of the attackers causes the painting to focus solely on the victims-- demanding attention for what truly matters, the true result of senseless violence.
Käthe Kollwitz's "The Mothers" (Die Mütter), from her 1920s "War" (Krieg) portfolio explores themes of grief, the rawness of maternal suffering, and the devastating impact of war on families. The woodcut piece depicts mother figures cradling their dead children, faces ridden with anguish, coupled with the burdens of emotional distress and loss, facing every parent's worst nightmare. Kollwitz's own son died in WWI, and her work is often seen as an expression of this traumatic event, reflecting the vulernerability of both parent and child in the face of violence that trascends the barriers of both time and historical context; regardless of one's own experience with the war, regardless of the century the work is seen, the suffering is constant-- the primal instinct to protect one's children despite being faced with overwhelming forces beyond one's control is not restricted by such barriers.
Egon Schiele's 1910 work "Self Portrait with Arm Twisted Above Head" evokes a slightly unsettling atmosphere, reflecting the quiet unease that never quite leaves after traumatic experiences, along with jagged, nervous lines that convey tension and agitation, two feelings that are all too farmiliar to those facing anxiety. The uncomfortable looking posture, gaunt and vulnerable figure, and anxious gaze engages the viewer in the feelings of exposure and unprotectedness of emotional distress and traumatic events. Schiele's establishment of these qualities conveys and intense internal conflict, as well as communciating a sense of discomfort that resonates with the lasting effects of trauma on the physical and psychological state.
Sophia Calle's 1986-1989 series "Blind" directly engages with topics of loss of sense, the fragile nature of memory and identity, and the everlasting impact of absence on perception and understanding. The idea originally came to Calle after her own temporary loss of sight, her direct engagement with which allows viewers to "see" how losing a fundamental way of interacting with the world can affect an individual's perception. This approach highlights how much we depend on our sight to percieve the world, a fragile dependance which, when taken away from us, allows for a radically different experience of reality. The loss of sight forces a reliance on memory, and the act of rebuilding understanding in the face of loss is parallel to the ways individuals attempt to rebuild their lives post-trauma.
"Self Portrait as a Soldier," painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1915 (after his traumatic experience in the German army), expresses the trauma of war (particularly the profound psychological damage inflicted during WWI) and the erosion of identity. The presentation of juxtaposition between Kirchner's identity, as represented by the cigarrette, and his service as a soldier, as represented by the uniform and bloodied stump, immediately represents how his identity as a soldier brutally interrupted his identity as an artist. Furthermore, as an artist, his hands are the most vital tools of his creations; the loss of which catastrophically damages his identity and power. Lastly, Kirchner's anxiety-filled gaze-- which doesn't meet the viewer's-- reflect his inner psyche, riddled with turmoil and psychological wounds post-war.
Edvard Munch's "The Scream" (1893) is one of the first and most iconic artistic representations of inner turmoil and psychological distress, highlighting the overwhelming intensity of isolation faced by those with intense anxiety and emotional trauma. The composition of the distorted, unnatural environment with fiery colors representing the sky along with the visceral but inaudible scream coming from the foremost figure on the bridge allow viewers to both see and experience Munch's intense anxiety, or sensory overload. Sensory overloads are present in those with acute anxiety or the aftermath of a traumatic event, where the senses are heightened and difficult to process, leading to a breakdown. Munch utilizes expressionism to convey these emotions and experiences, which can be difficult to convey through traditional representational means.
"Rebellious Silence" by Shirin Neshat, part of her 1994 series Women of Allah powerfully portrays the complex connections of gender, racial identity, political oppression, and the potential for rebellion/resistance in the context of post-revolutionary Iran. Her series often hints or directly confronts the trauma of women in these environments, with visible constraints (her veil covering her face, along with the way women are instructed to act in public) commonly combined with Farsi text from female-written poems that speak of resilience, longing, and identity. Her beautiful black-and-white imagery and wonderfully composed portraits contrasts with the allusion to the potential trauma women face in a society that treats them as lesser beings, reducing them to one-dimensional servants for men.
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo painted "Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair" in 1940, shortly after her divorce from her husband Diego Rivera. The painting expresses her loss of control, emotional pain, and radical shift in identity after their split. In Mexican culture, long hair is deeply tied to feminity-- cutting it short was considered an act of rebellion or mourning. In this piece, chopping her hair can be seen as Frida severing her connection to Diego, who reportedly loved her long hair; on the top of the painting are words from a Mexican song, which when translated, reads "See, if I loved you, it was for your hair, now you're bald, I don't love you any more." Her attire also doubles her rejection of feminity; wearing what appears to be Diego's suit, posing in masculine posture as a possible attempt to reclaim control and indepdendence after such a disrupting event. The disarray of her hair scattered around her contrasts with her stoic, unwavering gaze: though her life is in torment right now, the trauma has not broken her spirit.
Though a written work, Ai Weiwei's book "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows" (2021) powerfully expresses intergenerational traumas, the impact of political oppression, and the resilient endurance of longing for artistic freedom and personal expression. The memoir weaves together Ai Weiwei's stories as well as those of his father, poet Ai Qing, during former Chinese president Mao Zedong's cultural revolution, when the family faced the psychological toll of living under constant scrutiny. The book is Weiwei's testament to the indomintable human spirit, as well as the enduring power of creativity in the face of adversity.
(CONTENT WARNING: strong language. Viewer disrection advised.) Debuted on October 28th, 2024, on his 8th studio album "CHROMAKOPIA," Tyler, the Creator's (Tyler Gregory Okonma) "Like Him" is a deeply personal song that reflects the artist's experiences of growing up with an absent father, whom he was told abandoned him and his mother shortly after his birth. The lyrics explore Tyler's inner turmoil as the man of his family, paranoid that he will grow up to be like his father, abandoning those he loves for selfish reasons. The phrase "Mama, I'm chasing a ghost, I don't know who he is" and "Do I look like him?" are repeated throughout the song, symbolizing the everpresent comparison Tyler gets to his father. Over the course of his career, Tyler has repeatedly expressed his disdain for his father, regarding him as a coward for his choices. However, at the end of the song, his mother reveals that his father did not abandon him, like she told him before; rather, he wanted to be present, but his mother forbade him. This stark revelation forces Tyler to change his entire perspective about his father-- and at such a late stage in his career. The trauma of growing up without a father, a stereotypical situation faced by too many black families across America, is something Tyler articulates wonderfully throughout his work, able to gain understanding and belonging in a world that once isolated him.