BY: LYNN NOTTAGE
ARTIST STATEMENT
This explores the reality that sexual violence prolongs its assault throughout a person’s life. The women in the play who have been assaulted carry a heavy burden of emotional pain and trauma. Sophie, Josephine, Salima and Mama have all been raped mainly by soldiers. Ruined refers to the rape the women have gone through. Throughout the play, there is a lot of trauma, self discovery and eventually the beginnings of acceptance and hope. Mama owns this brothel which is also where these women live so this has become a safe haven for them. For me, something that I really responded to was how broken and trapped these women feel. So the set takes place inside this clay brick cage with a broken glass floor that Mama made from the ground up surrounded by various objects that Mama made or found. Towards the end Soldiers come and invade the women's home causing objects to break and 2 of the columns fall into the theatre architecture. In the final scene we see the brothel restored but different. Salima took her own life when the soldiers invaded and Sophie is going to a doctor that can fix her. Christian (sophie's uncle) comes and dances with Mama which gives us a sense of hope.
PROCESS
FIRST IMPULSE PASS - 1/2" SCALE
ROUGH WHITE MODEL - 1/2" SCALE
MODEL LIGHT TEST
MODEL LIGHT TEST
RED CLAY BRICK RESEARCH
CLAY BRICK RESEARCH
GLASS FLOOR REFERENCE
SIGNATURE GRIFFIN
PAPER PROJECT