| GAF 2024 | Student Leadership Team | Artists | Events | Installation Views |
Weapon (Use as Needed, But Return Afterward)
After experiencing a series of unfavorable encounters with men, including sexual assault and stalking, my body was brewing with anger, confusion, betrayal, depression, and fear. I was so fed up with these emotions that I wanted, or rather needed, something that could protect me—by any means possible. And what came out of that longing was a roughly thirty-pound spike ball. The work is incredibly weaponized and dangerous, depicting a desperate demand for peace from male-imposed violence.
The work is not just for myself, though; it acts as a communal resource, encouraging anyone—especially women and members of the queer community—to use it as needed, as long as they return it afterward.
Since its creation, this piece has continued to grow with me, repeatedly reflecting the same desire for safety that inspired its conception.
Brooke Ellisor is from Austin, Texas, and is finishing up her first year at Gallatin. Her studies focus on her personal artwork in photography, printmaking, graphic design, poetry, sculpture, and music, as well as on sharing others’ artwork through her zine Bluekeys. The publication has released four 80-page print issues and has organized over fifteen concerts, festivals, and markets.
Sculpture, specifically ceramics, was one of the first mediums that Ellisor delved into. Being a part of her high school’s ceramic program for three years, she continuously experimented with form and space, becoming more and more interested in abstraction and organic shape. Ellisor has continued that exploration through other visual mediums as well and looks forward to further advancing her artwork at NYU.
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