04/03/2024
ERASURE//
This image was initially shot as part of my Hands Face Space project, but I don’t think it sits there right now.
When I look at it, it makes me think of a lot of things. It makes me think about how much of ourselves we hide away. Either for safety or acceptance by others, or because society tells us so or because life and circumstance and responsibilities deem it so.
It makes me think about women’s rights to their own bodies being eroded by aborti*on bans and the knock on impacts of their healthcare and right to contraception and access to IVF.
It makes me think about the steady erosion of rights and safety for the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly felt by our trans and non-binary friends.
It makes me think about the chipping away at the rights and support for Disabled people, including and very much not limited to the eradication of a disabilities minister.
It makes me think about Palest*ne. About how the gen0cide is so visible yet seemingly unseen by those with powers to change the course of action. It makes me think about the erasure of cultures and people and the disparity of circumstance and this seeming query over validity of life and “enoughness.” About how migrating people seem to have to hide parts of themselves and their culture and justify their existence and basic human value.
It makes me think about the right of pr0test, and the right of anonymity, and the right to identity, and how each of these is being steadily eroded in plain sight. We need to use our voices where we can. If we don’t, they will be gone. We will become pieces of homologous background. We too will become hidden. Speak up for those around you. They would speak up for you.
That’s a lot of thoughts from one photo.
And if you’ll forgive the cens0rsh*p, this is my third attempting at posting on this topic but the app seems to automatically “disappear” them. Hidden, erased, again.
