Now You Don't Have Me

"At first you had me in the palm of your hand. Then you had me in your pocket. Then you had me under your feet. Now you don't have me."

Those were the compelling words of a woman who endured ten years of beatings and abuse, whose story was detailed in a newspaper article.

I had been searching for an idea to finish the series of hangings depicting violence and abuse directed against women. Gazing through a window in the early spring, I realized that the boughs of a tree created the silhouette of Sue's bonnet, as a ray of sunlight illuminated the branches. The symbolism was perfect.After the long period of cold and endurance, the tree looks as if it were dead. But peering closely, we see anticipated signs of revival. The mossy trunk is ready to sprout new growth. The twisted bare branches, stark against a spring sunrise, form the shape of Sue's bonnet. From one small limb, a few tentative leaves have appeared.

The reverse side of the hanging is covered by a wealth of flowers springing up, just as the dead leaves form the basis of new life.