October 22, 2018 – Childhood Fractured

https://www.childhoodfractured.com/
Childhood Fractured

From their website:
‘Childhood Fractured is a non-profit humanities-based human rights initiative centered on preventing the sexual abuse and exploitation of children through contemporary art. Our initiative operates on a multitude of levels. We are fostering civic engagement with regards to the individual and their level of awareness surrounding the international epidemic of child sexual abuse. We are challenging them to engage and challenge their communities to do the same. Legislative and macro actions will soon follow. Decisive and swift action is necessary if we are to ensure the psychological, emotional, and physical safety of the children here today and the generations to come  

The foundation of this project is a series of 14 paintings each with a written narrative meant to explore the childhood sexual abuse of artist, Allen Vandever. This contemporary artwork functions as a creative interface for the public to be made aware of the realities of childhood sexual abuse told from the male perspective and to foster constructive, critical, and positive dialogues on this topic. The artwork and their respective narratives are currently being compiled into a book. This book will also feature expository writings on the topic of childhood sexual abuse, a working understanding of current medical research, and critical analysis of what we can do as a society in relation to childhood sexual abuse and exploitation.’

https://www.allenvandever.com/
Allen Vandever

His Artist Statement:
‘I feel an artists body of work is his unwritten biography, archiving his progress in both craftsmanship and self-discovery, all the while capturing the most personal and essential moments in his life, and revealing his personal reflections.

In my painting, I feel free from the jumble of words all too limited in their ability to fully illustrate an image of my sensations and reflections. Painting is a way to bypass the filter of conscious analysis.

I am free to explore my dreams, very often so intensely alive that they continue to exist in my sight in the material world. I have yet to find the words capable of illustrating such glorious visions, so I paint to illuminate its existence to others. I aspire to reveal such worlds to my son, that the images from my journey inspire him to begin his own exploration.’

Store:
https://www.childhoodfractured.com/shop?fbclid=IwAR1vNCRxXNvNZAVgY8zcqcWTpqI2_kDB8LZyPcvTDGrkAEF09hMFHh3DvHU

Cover Art Courtesy of Childhood Fractured.