
Black and white is a term typically referred to issues that are concrete, either right or wrong, and simple. However, topics that are “shades of gray” usually seem complicated. The use of both black and white and gray in this artwork depicts the complexity of the issue; Child Molestation/Abuse. The additional elements, such as lines, curves, positive and negative use of space, value, and intensity all contribute to building a solid stance on child abuse and molestation.

The combination of lines and curves give life and more understanding to the artwork. Horizontal lines are useful is taking up space, while curved lines add life and energy to the artwork. The only time the two of these are combined is with the hands. The hands take up most of the space that is not focused on her and all the lines have curves at some point, making them seem more realistic than the girl who seems static due to fear, pain or both. It is obvious that the hands are the cause of her cuts and bruises, as the color of the bruises is almost the same intensity as the hands, which symbolize the many people that play a part in child molestation and abuse. The fact that the hands are colorless or not given details, like wrinkles, rings or nail polish, emphasizes the fact they could represent anyone; family members, teachers, peers, or etc. At first it seems as though the hands aren’t touching her, but the bruising, cuts and darkness around her hair hints that the hands have at some point touched her there.  The amount of space they take up also present an issue as well.

The use of positive and negative space plays a huge role in the artwork. Since the girl is the focus and largest part of the work, she alone makes up the positive space, while everything around her makes up the negative space, which is mostly darkness and the hands. The observer clearly can tell the girl is the most important part of the art, however the eyes just seems to capture their attention. They are her darkest feature and are filled with tears, which is one of the lightest parts of the art. White is often seen as a color representing purity and innocence and peace. The tears in the art definitely could represent purity and innocence, but since the tears are coming from the darkness or the darkest part of her there can’t be any peace. The stark contrast in color between the eyes and tears could represent the contrasting emotions children feel when something like this occurs to them. The fact that her eyes are also pitch black alludes to the fear, confusion and emotional instability darkness can bring into your life. 

One of the other parts of this work that’s intriguing is her hair. It is the thin barrier that separates the hands and her body. The strands closest to her face have already been smudged just from their interaction with her skin, yet the strands the farthest away are still mostly white. This could possibly hint on the fact that the damage has already been done. Once a child is abused or molested they no longer see the world through the same eyes. It has already deeply affected them, far into life. It affects the way they perceive the world, themselves and life in general, which is such a tragic thing to experience at so young of an  age. Also the hand in the bottom left hand of the page always catches my eye, because the rest of the hands are either touching her or reaching in, but this one hand is just messing with her hair, adding an eerie feel to the whole work. Most times when other people touch your hair it’s out of admiration or affection, but here it clearly is a perverse version of these two ideals, and it also ties into one of the most common questions that is asked in these question. How can someone who is supposed to love and care for a child do such horrible things to them? 

At any point within this work, the artist could have included color, possibly with the hands or the eyes, or even just the background, however she stuck with black, white, and shades of gray. Black and gray are some of the darkest colors within the color spectrum, and white is one of the brightest colors. The choice of these three colors goes back to the core of the issue; Child Molestation/Abuse. Children are lively, pure, innocent and full of light, however it doesn’t take long for that to change. The world around this child is dark, dreary and frightening; all things a young child should not have to embrace. The entire situation is one that sadly, occurs too often and barely is spoken about. This young girl is having her life dimmed at the hands of others, and there’s nothing she can do about it. 

The artist's use of some of the most basic elements of art combined to create one of the most troubling, prevalent, and powerful images on child abuse and molestation. Although, the image isn’t graphically violence, the cuts, bruises, and darkness clearly portray the violence and pain the young girl experiences. The lack of vibrant colors places an emphasis on the childhood and liveliness that has been robbed from this young girl. This haunting picture allows the viewers to see the eyes through the victim and the true nature of child abuse and molestation. 
