The Distortion of Consent
South African Artist Chloé van Wyk’s artwork titled “The Distortion of Consent” scrutinizes the idea of consent, and how sexual coercion is a major problem in our society. Read her accompanying poem, as well as her explanation on why she chose to depict this subject.
The Distortion of Consent.
A poem by the Artist.
A word from the Artist.
The Distortion of Consent:
Every woman that I’ve discussed sexual harassment or assualt with, has shared her own experience of it during our discussion. All my peers, and older women around me. The fact that women are so abused enrages me.
This artwork scrutinizes the idea of consent, and how sexual coercion is a major problem yet is usually not considered as one. Too many people think it is acceptable to use guilt or pressure to manipulate someone into having sexual contact with them. I challenge that attitude with this artwork.
The included poem is directly inspired by a girl I know who was pressured to have sexual contact in her relationship that she wasn't comfortable with. She was extremely uneasy about it, but the guilt she felt about not meeting her partner’s wishes made her suppress her concerns and unwillingness. Her “yes” wasn’t truly consensual. Even though it was not sex, it still involved her body in a way that she was not truly comfortable with. Because it hadn’t involved sex, she struggled to call it sexual coercion, and wasn’t even sure what that term meant. That makes my heart ache, and the self-portrait in this work conveys that ache, my solidarity with all those who have had their body used in a way they didn’t want and represents my own experiences with sexual harassment.
The floating colourful marks are intentionally warped to represent the distortion of consent caused by emotional manipulation. The purple is significant because it was used in 2019 by people in South Africa as part of the movement to address gender-based violence.
This artwork stresses the pain of mistreated women, and challenges people to ensure that they have a healthy understanding of consent.
To see more about Chloe, visit her Instagram page here.