Hegemonic disguise in resistance to domination: the Clothesline Project's response to male violence against women

Abstract

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“I am the Woman Next Door”: The Clothesline Project as Woman Abuse Survivors' Societal Critique

“…Survivors who view the art at public displays feel strengthened as they recognize that other women experience similar abuse (Mercer, 2003). Women who create T-shirts feel empowered and often report that their participation in the project contributes to their healing (see Gregory et al, 2002;Hipple, 1998;Mercer, 2003;Ostrowski, 1996;Willis, 1995). Further, Clothesline Project victim/survivors reconfigure their individual experiences by adding their stories to the collective voice of woman abuse survivors.…”

“…Despite The Clothesline Project's invitation to viewers to inhabit the marginalized perspectives of abuse survivors, few pause to examine survivors' art for the depth of knowledge contained within it. Although researchers recognize the empowerment and healing properties The Clothesline Project offers to victim/survivors (see Gregory et al, 2002;Hipple, 1998;Julier, 1994;Mercer, 2003;Ostrowski, 1996;Willis, 1995), the complexity of the messages survivors' art communicates to the public remain overlooked in previous research. Further, existent research on the project focuses too heavily on the symbolic elements that founded The Clothesline Project (such as laundry as women's work, or as ''airing dirty laundry'' in public) and fail to critically examine survivors' messages.…”

“…Many of the displays, in fact, hang in outdoor spaces frequented by people walking to work or passing by on their way to class, or in indoor spaces where people congregate casually or pass by on a daily basis. Hipple (1998) notes that Clothesline artists often deliberately use bold colors and strong language in order to demand attention. As a result, and because so many abusers exist, it seems highly probable that abusers view the shirts, whether they want to or not.…”