Jaime Lynn Shafer
What inspired you to discuss trauma and tragedy in your art? How did you choose the different topics for each artist’s book?
Personal experiences of trauma and tragedy inspire my work. These experiences are either mine personally or the experience of a loved one who has confided in me. The topics are a result of those experiences and conversations with loved ones who were processing. For example, 1 in 3 was my response to escaping an abusive husband. Although it took me some time to process the abuse I experienced, the work is a result of finally accepting and understanding what happened to me. It was created in hopes of helping others to know why it is so hard to escape an abusive relationship.
What made artist’s books the best medium for your work and what you want others to see?
Artists' books allow for a marriage of form and content. The various structures permit an interplay between the paper, content, and imagery. These things enhance the content and the experience of reading. The multiple structures allow the viewer to see or feel the content in a new and different manner. I hope that others feel a more direct, personal connection when they engage with my work. I hope that the viewer walks away with a new perspective and a greater understanding of what one might feel if they too were put in that particular situation.
Regarding your book Mother Clap's Ledger, how did your research on molly houses come about? What feelings or messages do you hope to instill within your readers, and how should Mother Clap’s story be interpreted in a modern context?
Oh my, that seems like such a long time ago! I came across one particular book that sparked my interest as I was researching my thesis. The book is Mother Clap's Molly House: The Gay Subculture in England 1700-1830 by Rictor Norton. (It is out of print now, and I had a difficult time finding additional information about Molly Houses beyond this one publication.) I was reading a great deal about homosexuality in the Victorian Era. This was a time that put strict requirements on marriage and relationships. Before this period, it wasn't an issue. Many cultures around the world have a long history of accepting same-sex relationships.
I was and still am fascinated by how marginalized people find a way to live their lives despite the laws and rules that are imposed on them. This even applies today in our modern world. We are witnessing a relapse in history with our current administration. We are seeing a surge in hate crimes and people being ostracized. Mother Clap was an ally when there were few. It was said that she wasn't in the business for money; she just wanted to see others happy and that she enjoyed the company of the men. She helped people navigate a world that would have otherwise been extremely challenging.
Several of your works seem to emphasize issues such as domestic violence, addiction, and LGBT rights. What made you choose these issues and in what ways are they personally important to you?
These issues are personally important to me because they have impacted my life in one way or another. As I mentioned in a previous question, I was in an abusive relationship and marriage for nine years. At the time, I couldn't recognize that my spouse was abusive. I accepted the relationship as normal and thought everyone must experience this. I think that is how it is with many women who experience abuse. The beginning of the relationship was normal. I felt loved and cared for. My spouse was kind and thoughtful. The abuse was a slow progression that I could not see until after I left. And even after I left, I still denied what had been happening. I still felt guilty. I still felt like it was my fault. That's the thing with abusive partners. They are very good at placing the blame on you. They make you believe that your behavior is the cause.
It took me a few years to process what happened and to see that it was not normal in any way. It was not easy to escape the marriage. I had finally accepted that I was gay and told my spouse. I asked for a divorce. He went ballistic. He tried to convince my parents that I should be committed to a mental institution because being gay had to be a result of some traumatic experience I had as a child. He truly believed that being gay was a choice. I had known since college that I was gay, but I grew up in a very conservative, Catholic family. I feared coming out and had pushed my feelings far inside. I denied who I was and tried to fit the mold that my family expected me to fill. It took years before we divorced. It was a very long process. Even after the divorce, he threatened physical harm.
As for the work focusing on addiction, these works are a result of having essential people in my life struggle with addictions. My work centering around LGBT rights is the result of finally accepting who I am. It is sad to think, but most people don't worry about issues that don't personally impact them. I think my denial about who I was was a blindfold that I wore daily. I didn't pay attention to issues such as LGBT rights until I started experiencing discrimination as a gay woman.
I noticed that every one of your artists’ books had a different format and presentation. How did you decide the format of each of your works? Was this a conscious decision or one that happened naturally?
Yes, the format of each work was a conscious decision. For all of my work, I play with the format until I find something that fits the content. For me, this is the most important aspect of creating an artists' book. The content has to be enhanced by the format. I often sketch out my ideas and create multiple mockups until I find what works. After sketching, I usually make a mockup and work out the content and the structure. Sometimes this means changing the approach if I feel that it isn't working as I hoped. I usually ask for feedback from colleagues or friends and then rework it. This process can take some time to work through.