Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Art

Reader 1

Aly Ogasian

Reader 2

Nancy Macko

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Rights Information

© 2023 Rosalie Weber

Abstract

I’ve used this project as an opportunity to continue my personal healing journey in the wake of a sexual assault a number of years ago, using the guiding question: how do I reclaim pleasure and safety in my body after trauma? My work explores the process of healing through experiences of joy, playfulness, and connection, asserting that pleasurable experiences are possible in the same body that has experienced trauma. My work involves and celebrates the relationships that have supported me in my healing journey.

These tapestries were created in intimate events between myself and one other person, chosen for the depth of trust, support, and love shared between us. At the start of each session, I shared an intention for what I wished to receive, and allowed that to guide the participant as they painted me. In the end, a print was made from the paint on my body, and resulted in the tapestries that ended up being the tangible result of this project.

My biggest hope for this project is that it will help other survivors of sexual assault feel less alone. Statistically, even on the relatively small 5C campuses, there are hundreds of survivors of sexual assault--yet it wasn’t until I started talking about this project that I realized I wasn’t alone in my experience. I hope this project can help change that by opening up a broader discourse about sexual assault.

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