My source of inspiration for this project is somewhat, to an extent, a sensitive issue – ‘Sexual harassment’. The subject matter is something which normally isn’t spoken about or explored on a day to day basis, maybe being due to the fact that it’s almost a slightly ‘taboo’ issue. However, with the current boom in today’s social media, its become a topic which has been brought to the surface. The tremendous number of stories that have risen to be apparent was brought to my attention, as everyday.. a new story would appear on my phone across an array of different social media platforms. I began reading stories, articles, blog posts, interviews and youtube content by people effected. Being a woman, this all sparked a huge level of interest, after coming across so many shocking stories. However, after exploration, it was the number of ‘small’ stories that evoked emotion in me. Thus, I came to the conclusion that I wanted my video to have a purpose in society and to most importantly create change, and enlighten the viewers. I wanted my piece of work to be a form of activism, which led me to researching into art as a form of activism.
Through my research, I become aware how art can be an amazing way of provoking change. The video above states that activism in art causes “conversations to be sparked” and “controversy is sparked”, it can “enlighten” and most importantly to “educate”. Shannon Galphin, created a portable photography exhibition in open spaces around Afghanistan, she reinforces that art in war torn countries and places in severe distress is needed more so than in the safe western world and that art can be a powerful tool to send out messages or to make people feel a certain way. Her passion and remarkable work truly inspired me, to create a piece of art, that too, would hopefully make a change in a positive manner.