Artist Reception

Please join us at Yonder to meet the artist, Monica Meyer

Born and raised in California, from a family of immigrant field workers, Monica joined the military in the Post 9-11 spirit, but also to escape a bad first marriage. She met the love of her life at her first duty station, they married and had a child. After serving almost a decade, she returned to California with her husband and son to be closer to family. Struggling to adjust to post-military life she moved to North Carolina and found a welcoming community with opportunities in the triangle, and found home in Hillsborough. In 2018, she welcomed her second son.

Working Through Trauma in Photography

The Tunnel:
She begins entering the tunnel, a path to escape her life. She is flirty and fierce with a light in her eyes going down this path alone. Before she knows it, the woman is trapped and what light she sees at the end, the light that is supposed to be her escape ends up directing her to more darkness; a series of traumatic events. Trusting what should’ve been a safe and controlled environment. Spiraling in the tunnel, the illuminated fight in her eyes among the darkness, and unable to find her true north she is stuck in a constant dissociative state.

The Bubble:
Vomit in her hair, taste of stomach acids on her breath, and nothing stopped him. Waking up the next morning, bruised and shattered. Perpetually living in a bubble to prevent additional breaking of her fragility, on her sleeve broken pieces of herself for everyone to see. Every now and then her sharp edges cause her to burst her protective barrier and the world can see her true agony. Back in the bubble, she can hide among the pretty casts of colors she hides behind, her colorful smile, the romantic blush, but behind it still the face of remembered times.

The two sets are very symbolic of my symptoms of PTSD from military sexual trauma. Getting into photography the last year has allowed me to speak out about this more and forced me outside of my bubble, and more importantly allowed me to find a non-destructive, productive outlet for my emotions. The truth as we all know, is that my story is not rare, and I absolutely know I’m not special, many of us exist and many more are worse than mine. These types of stories are heard from those of all walks of life.