One of the objectives of this series is make a statement about current practices of torture and abuse. Death by stoning is not an ancient custom that ended hundreds of years ago. It is a contemporary form of punishment in countries like the Middle East and Africa. Video clips of women half buried in sand and being stoned to death are available on Youtube.

In so many ways we have become desensitized to images of violence. Who gets upset when they see the painting by Zurbaran of a first century woman with her breasts on a platter? No one. Who complains when they watch TV shows like CSI that depict (mostly) women being tortured, raped and murdered? No one. I find it interesting that a photograph of a fictional character made out of plastic, holding a platter with her equally plastic breasts has triggered such an emotional response.

In the first century AD, Agatha was taken from her home, put in a brothel, raped, and when she refused to give up her faith, suffered extreme physical torture. Today young girls are taken from their homes all over the world, including Canada. Sometimes they are sold by their own family. They are imprisoned in brothels and forced into the sex trade. In a similar situation, what would Anne have done?

Hi Carol:

I appreciate your negative reaction to "The Martyrdom of St. Anne". Not all art is meant to please.

I'm well aware there are better ways of recognizing and honouring those who have been treated badly. Thousands of artists have surpassed my attempt to deal with this important topic. I am still learning.

The photograph you have expressed your disgust with is of a plastic doll holding a plate with plasticine breasts. Red acrylic paint was used to simulate blood. The doll itself was untouched. What I find remarkable and quite moving, is how art, in the form of a painting, book, film or even a crudely constructed artificial tableau, can create a willing suspension of disbelief.

Wikipedia:"Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is a formula devised by the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge to justify the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literature. Coleridge suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.
The phrase "suspension of disbelief" came to be used more loosely in the later 20th century, often used to imply that the onus was on the reader, rather than the writer, to achieve it. It might be used to refer to the willingness of the audience to overlook the limitations of a medium, so that these do not interfere with the acceptance of those premises. According to the theory, suspension of disbelief is a quid pro quo: the audience tacitly agrees to provisionally suspend their judgment in exchange for the promise of entertainment. These fictional premises may also lend to the engagement of the mind and perhaps proposition of thoughts, ideas, art and theories."

Thank you Carol, for showing how this particular work of art has engaged your mind and made you think.

Diana

Hi Kate:

In May 2010 I will be exhibiting work from a series I am calling "A People's History" at Carleton University Gallery. It will be about the history of abuse in Canada, including Mt. St. Cashel, the horrors that took place at Port Coquitlam, residential schools, butterbox babies, violated hockey players, starlight tours.... This is not easy work to make, but I believe it is important.

Sincerely,

Diana