The First Ten

The backstory for my first group of Warrior Women begins with the breaking of the Harvey Weinstein stories in the New York Times in August of 2017. It was fueled even earlier by Trump’s  famously offensive comments caught on an “Access Hollywood” tape revealed in 2016. In essence, this was a confession, a public disclosure of his sexual attitudes and assaults on women. The NYT began running front page stories daily dealing with sexual assault,  the denigration of women and sexist power plays. None of these stories surprised many women, but the quantity and disturbing details were a shock, especially seen on the front page of the Times. I was horrified, but  also impressed by the bravery, openness and frank disclosures from so many women. I felt like the tide was changing.

My response to this tsunami of revelation was much like that of so many other women: increasing anger, and the hurt of uncovering painful personal experiences and reliving the past all over again. There are very few of us who don’t have a story.  I don’t march in the streets, join groups, run for office or write articles. I make things.

My reaction to all this brave, courageous revealing -- of things all of us would prefer not to hear or experience, or re-experience -- is intensely visceral. I feel it in my throat with suppressed screams, in my guts, my bowels, my joints. My eyes burn with hot tears of fury, and I shake with outrage and empathy.  My only relief comes from staying busy, creating and trying to understand. These first 10 figures were built fast and furiously. They are all fairly interchangeable and represent the mass victimization of women.