Artist 38: Candace Tripp

"Team Building"

Her work makes me want to cry. Seriously, it is so sad. It deals with childhood sexual abuse, from the victim's point of view. It visually expresses the weight of the shame and guilt of someone dealing with that kind of experience. The names of the pieces alone, are hardcore and say so much with just so little. Things like "And Everyone Watched" or "Get Up, Hannah. No One Forced You to Become a Slut."

"Get Up, Hannah. No One Forced You to Become a Slut."

Her style makes the subject seem that much more wrong. Like Victor Castillo, she uses children as her subjects and she even gives them masks of cute little animals. She draws them in a style similar to illustrations in a children's book. She does use darker colors however than in most children's books, and the themes are just disturbing.

Really, I'm so glad that she's making them. I think most people don't understand the enormity of the issues of shame and guilt following sexual abuse.

Most people don't think about what it's like to try to establish a healthy identity while some of the most influential people in your life are either treating you that way or letting someone else. This art communicates that struggle really clearly, and in such a way that the artist can help combat the hurt in some ways. That is the essence of what I want to do with my career I think. Help people to be able to communicate whatever kind of struggle is bottled up inside themselves so that they can fight more effectively.

"The Past is Everywhere"

Wow, mini tangent there. Sorry.
 Here is her website.