People typically use black and white in reference to issues that have two sides; either right or wrong. However, people refer to complicated issues as “shades of gray”. In Lexi Williams’ painting, Young Girl, the use of black and white, and gray depict the complexity of Child Molestation and Abuse. The additional elements, such as lines, curves, positive and negative space, value, and intensity all contribute to building a solid stance on this particular issue. It shows how abuse or molestation can completely ruin a child, alter them physically and mentally, and leave them seeing the world in a darker light. Society tends to shy away from talking about things that make them uncomfortable, especially child abuse and molestation. The painting sticks out and starts an open discussion about the issue.

The combination of lines and curves give more life and understanding to the artwork. Horizontal lines take up space, while curved lines add energy to the painting. The artist combines these two when she drew the hands, which take up most of the space that does not focus on the girl. All the lines have curves at some point, making them more realistic than the girl who seems static due to fear, pain or both. The artist made it obvious that the hands caused her cuts and bruises, seeing as how the color of her bruises have the same intensity as the hands. The various hands symbolize the many different people that molest or abuse children. The colorless hands have no other details, like wrinkles, rings, or nail polish. This emphasizes the fact that they could represent anyone; family members, teachers, peers, or etc. At first it seems that the hands did not touch her, but the bruising, cuts and darkness around her hints that the hands have at some point touched her there. The vast amount of space they take up also present a new idea.

In art, objects either take up positive or negative space. Positive space focuses on the most important aspect of the piece, and the negative space fills in whatever space the positive space does not take up. The young girl takes up the positive space, while the hands and darkness around her makes up the negative space. The observer can clearly see how each physical detail of the young girl is important, specifically the eyes that immediately catch their attention. The tear filled eyes provide a stark contrast hinting at the turmoil and destruction that follows abuse and molestation. White often represents purity, innocence, and peace, while black alludes to the fear, confusion and emotional instability that darkness can bring into your life. The tears flow from the darkest part of her body, and the stark contrast between the two colors show the contrasting and at time confusing emotions these children face. Compared to the rest of the artwork, the eyes appear less realistic, and more cartoonish. In Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud states that cartoonish feature give that art life, and increase audience involvement (118-119). People tend to identify more with cartoons, and the artist’s decision to add this cartoon-like trait only increases her audience’s response towards it. Viewer identification invokes emotions and helps to start the discussion about what took place in the painting and how it impacts the real world (119).  

Alongside the eyes, her hair intrigues the observer. Her hair barely separates the hands from her body. The hands have already smudged the strands closest to her face just from their interaction with her skin, yet the strands the farthest from her face remain mostly white. This could show the damage they have done to her and how they have impacted her life. After abuse or molestation, these children have been deeply affected, and the way the see the world, themselves, and life may trouble them. Also the hand in the bottom left hand of the page always catches my eye, because the rest of the hands either touch her or are reaching in, but this one hand messes with her hair, adding an eerie feel to the whole work. Most times people touch hair out of admiration or to show affection, but here the hands have perverted these two views. It makes people wonder: How can someone who loves and cares for a child do such horrible things to them?

At any point within this work, the artist had the choice to include color, possibly with the hands or eyes, or even just the background, however she stuck with black, white, and shades of gray. The lack of color contrasts the focus of the piece. Children are lively, pure, innocent, and full of light, reflected by bright colors, and in this work darkness surrounds the child.   This child’s world is dark, dreary, and frightening; all things a young child should not have to embrace. The entire situation sadly occurs too often, and people barely talk about it. The many hands have dimmed the young girl’s life, and there is 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 does not depict violence occurring, the cuts, bruises, and darkness clearly portray the violence and pain the young girl experiences. The lack of vibrant colors highlights how the hands have robbed this young girl of her childhood and liveliness. This haunting picture allows the viewers to see the eyes through the victim and the true nature of child abuse and molestation. It demands the audience’s attention and makes people discuss it. Visual art depicts images that we may see everyday, but not notice. We have all probably seen signs of child abuse or molestation, but because we are not the victim, discussing the issue does not seem important. This artwork puts the audience in the young girl’s shoes and makes child abuse and molestation a talkable subject.
