Is there something that has to be explained? Yes, my point of view probably. My work is not a defence, it is exploring what there is, what is hidden, what is shown and why. There are differences around the globe how for example criminals are portrayed in media, the accused and convicted ones, which has been an interest of mine and involves culture in general, which issue resonates with portraiture and the visual culture we receive and look at. Am I taking a stand and what kind or am I doing research? Yes. I am trying to understand how we measure, comprehend human value and make judgment, point a finger and what do we make of it. What does artist represent and mean when she dives into the very problematic of our morals and the evil men and women do? What do we mean with inhumane as we think humane is something absolutely good? Why inhumane is below us and something else than us? To me it is not outside of us, we just like to think it is.

What is the absolute evil we loath, how is it seen or not seen, is what interests me, the ugly and beautiful we define. We see it in those others, how about in ourselves? We have a very strict filter or denial of what we are. What do we make of all that seen imagery and how do we choose our stand can be a no-brainer. It is to condemn and stay as far as possible from evil, lock it away in isolation, still it has to be understood, faced and talked about as it is not far from anyone ever. How the bad and evil get caricatures and stereotypes which repeat in our minds is how we make the difference and make rejection. We see something and we think immediately something of the seen. We analyse our relationship to it. An absolutely evil person is someone who hurts those who cannot defend themselves and keeps on hurting knowing that there is little or no struggle against. Sound familiar? The pedophile issue is a constant one as is the issue of evil, abuse, creating the evil, learning about it and our ways of dealing with it. How am I good and that other person bad and why. Issue of evil happening against children is painful and real. Those involved in abuse are the lowest of the low as those who have more power take advantage of those who have less power whose hurt brings pleasure to someone. Sexual abuse is different from any other kind of abuse. We have our ways of seeing abuse that is either very punishing or looking the other way. Sexual abuse is a corrupted idea of sex, of power and relationship and destructive to anyone who is hurt. There is a victim whose hurt is the shame and pain of what has happened. When child is seen as a pleasure toy for an adult, child is violated and humiliated in the most cruel way. What is the happening there and what is the enormous violation there is who is a proper sex partner. To know what kind of desires we can have and realise, what is sex for and why it dominates our behaviour, why are we sexual to the extent of hurt, when does and should sex become an issue for children and what kind of issue is it for adults, are questions for all to go through. It is always an issue for children and we live in a sexist world where being sexual means something, but what does it mean. Children think of sex which does not mean they are ready for having sex and they misunderstand and imagine, as do adults. What is the violation there when a girl starts her sex life out of her own initiative at the age of 11? Can she have an initiative of her own? Sex is violence is probably the best way to understand what happens in sexual act. Something that is supposed to be good is hurtful. Sex is not a mere act of pleasure. From the beginning when children are targets they are targeted as are all. It is the very assumption of what humans are basically about, are seen through and want.

One has to be careful how one approaches the topic of children. There are numerous scandals in fine art where children have been shown openly as sexual beings. They are sexual when they are naked. Taking roles of adults happens to many children in real life all the time. Children taking care of minors when they are minors themselves, being made into killing machines and factory workers who have small fingers and are cheap labor, children who are sold into prostitution have not chosen to be prostitutes. Yes we are all horrified. The most horrifying thing is sexual abuse, naked body of a child and looking at it, when it is on display. What we must do is to know who is the abuser. Amount of hurt and to whom is a big issue, for example within catholic church hypocrisy comes along which is not news anywhere. When revealed pious people who were supposed to protect, guide and teach feel the shame. Pedophilia is the worst kind of crime and we want to protect children. I do hope so.

How protecting happens, do we reject the whole issue or face it? Responsibilities of adults do seem to be lost for adults themselves far too often. What does judging the artist tell?

 

 

pencil on paper, 2015