Clothesline Project: Extra Credit

Hey class!

I'm here to share some of my thoughts on the Clothesline Project. This is my first year at UCLA and first time ever seeing an installation like this! I think this is an overall successful call to action installation that raises awareness. I researched a bit about the project and learned that it originated to raise awareness on domestic violence amongst women. The Clothesline Project of UCLA does not describe the project as gender specific (I looked on their website and facebook) which I am really glad they made this change because having it remain gender specific made abusive and violent experiences of others, who do not claim identities as women, invisible. The project now concerns diversified, sexual AND gender violence issues. Survivors and memorials for victims of all identities now have a space to express their personal experiences. Involving all identities in the project allows for more success as a call to action piece than before, but there is still space for improvement for more success to be reached.

            The Clothesline Project creates a support system and collective community voicing out against injustices that continue to happen on a daily basis in people’s lives. The project is capable of providing more education and awareness to the public through small improvements such as identities to be voiced as well, leaving the installation up for a longer period of time and relocating so the project is viewed at the center of campus instead of the back. Overall the Clothesline Project is a successful call to action piece, working to heal and transform pain into beauty through art therapy and community outreach. 

            “Power is not love,” reads this red shirt signifying survivor(s) of rape/sexual assault, attempted rape/sexual assault, sexual battery. As an argumentative strategy, the survivor brings attention to authority and manipulation used in violent experiences. The message reminds everyone that another person trying to control you in any way is not a claim of care or love. It calls to action questioning, “What is power?” “What is love?” “Why am I being abused?” The individual adds messages of strength to move forward, and that life is possible after abuse to persuade survivors not to give up, and fight for a better life within themselves and others.

             

“Not only women, but men should speak up too.” This quote is found on a black shirt, signifying a survivor(s) of sexual harassment. The message raising awareness that violence happens to every gender, and every identity. “You have the power to prevent what happened to you from happening to others.” The individual argues that speaking out on sexual and gender violence works to influence and prevent such experiences from continuing to occur in people’s lives.

            Providing a feminist identity, a red shirt asks the question, followed by a statement, “Why can’t womyn be safe anywhere? We aren’t even safe in school!” The survivor voices the fact that violence is experienced everywhere, even school that is meant to be a safe space. Not only does the survivor expand one’s perspective of where violence occurs, they also voice their identity. The identity, “Womyn,” is a reclamation of an individual no longer under the possession of a patriarchal society. The identity no longer ends with “men.” Voicing one’s identity is powerful because not only is the survivor’s pain being recognized, but their beliefs and what they stand for are surfaced as well. Expressing identities is important because the viewer is no longer allowed to use their personal knowledge and perspective to assume an identity on a survivor. Because the project originated only for women’s voices, people reading the messages on the shirts may not fully be aware the extent that abuse happens everywhere to everyone, even beyond heteronormative experiences and within the LGBT community.

Overall really enjoyed walking through all the lines of t-shirts and hearing people's voices! <3 

-Olivia