I am currently working on an art project that seeks to change the dominant narrative surrounding abortion in the U.S. at the moment. People who have had abortions are at worst, cast as villains, at best, as victims, and rarely as heroes of their own story. This project combines individual stories with installation art and sculpture in the gallery and online.
By interviewing people who have had an abortion and self-identify this experience as positive, I hope to offer an alternative narrative. Inspiration for this project came from finding several young women who have chosen to talk about their abortion experience on youtube.com. The motivation for each differs but often folks offered their experience up for others to learn from. The stories are told in a way that is factual, clear and free from persuasion.
How would access to reproductive healthcare look if that were the norm instead of the exception?
Of course, this isn’t always the way the experience goes. For myriad reasons, choosing to have an abortion may be difficult. However, societal pressure, stigma and stereotype shouldn’t be the driving force in how one’s goes about difficult decisions.
By telling their stories, the people in my project offer an alternative to the dominant narrative. They can offer us a model for how making informed, empowered and stigma-free healthcare decisions should be.
I am looking for people to interview!
If you would like to share your store, please contact me at: nicole.gugliotti@gmail.com
Really great project. I wish to see the result. Bob Nied, Jacksonville