Resolving Vicarious Traumatization Through Artistic Practice
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Authors
Slinkard, Lana K.
Issue Date
2015-04-10
Type
oral_presentation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Vicarious Traumatization , Child Abuse , Self-Harm , Figurative Sculpture
Alternative Title
Abstract
Lana Slinkard creates meaningful figurative images that communicate authentic narratives and open a dialog with the viewer. For decades she has worked with victims of abuse and has seen the pain and suffering human beings can inflict upon each other. In the course of her healing role she internalized the suffering of others, becoming vicariously traumatized. Images of events described to her by children and adults, and the resultant physical manifestations she has seen continue to haunt her. Through the process of creating, Slinkard channels anguish into artistic expression, working towards an internal resolution. The exposed evidence confronts the viewer, which is sometimes subtle and sometimes graphic. It is the artist’s intention that abjection will be replaced by empathy and that silence will be broken by starting a conversation about the issues.
The Perfect Girls, Imperfect World sculptures are from a body of work from Slinkard’s concept for composite subjects of children and adult survivors. Her sculptures speak for these individuals through the evidence of traumas at the hand of others and from self-harm that can occur in the aftermath.