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Courage
Description

About this artwork

Gender-based violence against women is a vestige of the time when women were considered property, when their “proper” place was in the home, and when women were treated as second-class citizens. Sexual violence and harassment of women isn’t, of course, about sex; it is about power, especially abuse of power by the selfish, the damaged, the unscrupulous, and the just plain evil.

One in five women will be raped in their lifetime, more likely by a partner or someone they know, rather than by a stranger.

Whether she is an actress, a photojournalist, or a grocery store checker, a woman is extremely likely to be sexually harassed or worse in the workplace, though the rate depends on the industry.

I almost never work in black and white, but as I researched these topics, I felt despondent. There were too many things I wanted to say. I thought back to last year’s Oscars ceremony, when some actors chose somber colors instead of colorful finery in solidarity of those who’d just accused Harvey Weinstein of assault. I thought about how many women die at the hands of their current and former partners, over half of them killed with a firearm. I thought about all the women who are leading lives diminished by their fear of assault. I stripped my palette to a grieving, colorless minimum and that seemed right.

Men who abuse power have gotten away with it for centuries, because silence about the problem has been ubiquitous. Is it changing? Some days, I think, yes. Other days, no.

This piece was part of the show Ultraviolet: Textile art revealing women’s issues. Unfortunately, due to the nature of UV light, the hidden message is only visible in person. It says, “Believe her. Stand with her.”

Stitched textile collage 34″ h x 36″ w, comes unframed, but with framing recommendations.

In stock: 1
$3,500.00 USD $3,500.00 USD
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About my process

Unbridled and exuberant

Since 1984 my artwork has evolved (thank goodness!) Colorful bits of fabric, used like paint, are combined to create whimsical artworks that brighten up your space and remind you there’s more to life than a paycheck.

A Unique Work of Art

Each piece is one-of-a-kind, uniquely its own.

Aesthetic Storytelling

Each piece is created from a narrative or idea.

Hand-crafted

Darcy personally creates each artwork.
Fine Art Textiles

The Power of Collage

Concepts and ideas are what drive my creative work, whether I am making visual art or writing. I require a narrative or an idea upon which to hang the aesthetics. That’s one reason I was initially drawn to collage, with its startling power to illustrate the intangible. Collage allows me to give important elements their due, excise the insignificant, and re-create the world according to my own vision. I use fragments to create a whole, solid, and honest picture of the world.

While I still work with the stitched textile collage medium, a shift has caused me to look at other ways to express ideas. That modulation has led me to investigate sculptural forms, specifically those based on garments. Conceptualizing the Kevlar Kimono, with its many layers of meaning and controversial subject matter, was the first indication that I needed to defect – at least for a time ­– from collage. The ideas behind that piece were simply too big to be contained in a small framed artwork.

Whatever the topic and form of my work, I’m looking to ground those abstract ideas in the senses, giving the viewer enough clues within my work to expose him or her to an idea, or recall an experience or memory, much like a childhood matching game. Not everyone will take the time to look closely and understand, but those are the artworks I seek to create and to view.

— Darcy Falk

(Photo by John Running)

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