Our society is in a watershed moment—survivors of sexual assault are finding their voices and they are finding that at long last, their voices will be heard, respected and we hope, believed. For survivors who have carried their secrets for years, throughout marriages, child rearing and long careers without the benefit of a witness or a believer, the time has been especially long in coming. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you,” said Nobel prize winning writer Maya Angelou, also a survivor of childhood rape.
These courageous women are speaking out – enduring the pain of reliving their story in the hope that by sharing their stories other survivors will not feel so ashamed and alone. We can’t change what happened in the past, but by speaking out together we may be able to help each other heal and protect other people.
Listening to stories of survivors, “place” becomes another element of their stories: out running, at a party, in my grandfather’s bathroom, in my own home. An artistic representation image of the place of assault is featured for each survivor, as women realize that the heavy burden of protecting themselves occurs daily in their lives.
Ivy’s interest in this project is very personal. She was raped almost 50 years ago. Photography and videography allows her to offer a visual voice to other survivors who see the possibilities in this moment to speak out and help others.
This project is San Diego based for photography and videography. If you would like to share your story to help others heal please reach out to us on the contact page. If you would like to share your story, but don’t live in San Diego please go to the “Your Stories” page where you can write about your experience.
Ivy Gordon has been a business owner for over 40 years and more recently has coached and consulted to over 100 CEOs and executives. Passionate about photography, Ivy has been named “Photographer of the Year” in 2016 and 2017, by PPSDC, the San Diego chapter of Professional Photographers of America. She hopes to add her verse to the chorus of photographers who believe that images are a powerful force, not only for personal growth but for social change. Through her images and stories she feels like she is fulfilling her life’s purpose to “Help people see a bigger picture”. To see more of her work, please visit www.ivygordonphoto.com
Janet Bark is a Certified Professional Photographer through the Professional Photographers of America. She is the current President of the Professional Photographers of San Diego County, and was awarded Photographer of the Year for 2018. She has been in the photographic industry since 1990. Her passion is portrait photography where she believes everyone is uniquely beautiful and deserves to have an image of themselves that they love.
Ke’Ari earned a B.S. in Global Health from the University of Southern California. Her passion lies in women’s health and reproductive justice. Eager to earn a Master’s in Public Health, she aims to improve health literacy and access to services through advocacy, health interventions, and digital media communication. She is also passionate about visual storytelling, and using art as a creative outlet to inspire and motivate. She served on this team as Web Designer.