"She said that she had to paint A Few Small Nips because she herself came close to being "murdered by life"..." 1

Introduction

One of the starting points for my work was an investigation into the ways in which other Artists had used personal experience as the basis for their work. In this text I hope to highlight the importance of Art as a form of Therapy for female Artists, including myself, that have suffered abuse, rape, disfigurement, and illness both physical and mental. I will look at the work of Artists such as Frida Kahlo and Jo Spence as examples of women who have used their Art as a therapy in order to see how they addressed their injuries, faced up to them and turned them around into positive Art Statements. I will then look at my own life and the various forms of abuse that I have suffered and how Art is helping me to come to terms with it. Through this process I hope to show what is at the centre of my Art and produce a practical piece of work that reflects this as strongly as I can.

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