As an artist, I don’t believe in staying quiet. Art doesn’t always need to be pretty. Sometimes it needs to speak up. That’s what this piece does. I used corrugated metal, the kind that reminds you of fences or cages. On it, I painted the silhouette of a mother and child running. You can almost feel their panic. Then on the right, I added a series of short lines—part poem, part statement. Simple words, but loaded.
Let the Words Speak
Alien deterrent
Asylum exposed
Hauled and held
Expunged disposed
Lone reviled
Convict mama
Screaming child
Blunt force trauma
These aren’t just words thrown together. Together, they tell a brutal truth about how policies can destroy lives. It’s real. It happened. And it’s still happening. I wanted to show how we often use cold, official language to cover up real human pain. When you slow down and really read it, you start to feel what’s underneath.
Why I Make This Kind of Art
People sometimes ask why I make art that deals with tough topics. Why not just paint something nice? The answer’s simple: because I can’t ignore it. And I don’t think art should either.
I’m not trying to lecture anyone. I’m just trying to shine a light on things that usually get buried. I use paint, shapes, texture. But I also pour in emotion: anger, sadness, frustration. These aren’t abstract ideas to me. They’re things that are happening in the world, and they matter.
If someone sees this piece and starts asking questions, or just feels something, then the art is doing what it’s supposed to.
Can Art Actually Change Anything?
Maybe not on its own. But it can help. Art can add to the voices speaking out. It can make people stop and think. Blunt Force Trauma won’t fix anything by itself. It holds up a mirror and says, Look. Don’t forget.
