Ahh, my lovelies......

The topic of domestic violence is difficult, but it is there folks, and it will not go away if it is swept under the rug. My series "Battered Madonnas" has been shown in the US, Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. I think it has opened eyes, created heated discussions, witnessed whispered and hushed confessions and given voice to many women afraid to speak about their own situations, or their mothers or daughters. It is no coincidence that this situation rises in periods of economic upheaval and instability. People take out their aggressions on those closest to them, and it does need to stop.

I am showing you a few of the Battered Madonnas here. They are for me a group of women who have suffered, but have survived. Some are young, some are not, but the golden halo I give them is to give them strength and hope that their will is stronger than their aggressor's need to inflict bodily harm. If you know someone who is suffering, listen to them, help them if they ask for it. Do not ignore them. The cycle of violence only stops when we act.