New School students aren’t your typical college kids. They’re bright, determined, and armed with just the skills needed to revolutionize our world. Through fashion, music, art, writing, social research and more, these future leaders are ready to leave their mark and shake up the rules.
This is especially true with New Schooler Freddie Dessau. Freddie uses his art to tackle social issues relevant to our modern world. Just recently, Freddie won second place in an anti-sexual assault poster contest held by the NYPD. The following is an interview between Her Campus and Freddie Dessau.
HC: Freddie, can you give the readers a little background about yourself?
FD: “I am a native of New Jersey, growing up just 15 miles from NYC. I am a ‘non-traditional’ student in that I’m returning to school after a 30-something-year break, having held numerous odd jobs. I’ve been a graphic designer, architect, and finally a military cartographer.”Â
“I have to say there’s a surprising amount of institutional age-ism on campus (and in our society at large). It really bothers me at times. But then I’ve also found the students, staff, and faculty here at Parsons to be really welcoming. The MFA program is demanding and can be stressful at times, but it is also challenging. I’ve learned so much already. On a personal level, I doubt I could have handled it very well at age 25, to be honest.” Â
HC: You are enrolled in the MFA Fine Arts program at Parsons, but your art is unique in the sense that it tends to have a psychological element. I had the honor of attending your open studio just a few weeks ago and your exhibit on memory was one of the most powerful showcases of the night. Have you always been interested in combining art and trauma?
FD: “There’s a power in making the personal universal and that’s what I was trying to accomplish in my open studios exhibition. What constitutes trauma for one may not for another, but all of us have experienced some form of trauma. I’m not a particularly ‘happy’ person. I was raised with a sort of a paranoid view of the world. Regardless, I think we all want the same things: to be loved, to be happy, and for our life to have meaning.”
“But wanting something and accomplishing it are two separate things. Just as history seems to be a chronology of one war after another, life seems to be one trauma after another. In my art practice I’d like to suggest an alternative – our lives need not be shaped by trauma. It’s not easy. That’s why it’s important to let go of trauma whether through therapy or through counseling.”
HC: What inspired you to create your poster and enter the NYPD sexual assault contest?
FD: “My artwork tends to be literal. I have a literal view of the world. I don’t think things are always relative. There’s bad and there’s good. I don’t want to be an apologist for the bad. Sexual assault is simply wrong. It’s indefensible. So I had an opportunity to express something I feel very strongly about it a concise, literal way.”Â
HC: While most people think of women when it comes to sexual assault, it is important to note that sexual assault can happen to all genders. Do you think enough is being done to help prevent these crimes on campuses nationwide?
FD: “I heard about the contest through campus postings and email, so I wouldn’t say not completely. The issue of sexual assault is a complicated one, and the administration, staff, and faculty can’t do it alone. It is also up to the student population. Sexual assault typically follows sexual harassment and sexual harassment is simply wrong. We may like to feel free and open, but when anyone — regardless of their position, relationship, or gender identity crosses the line of what we are comfortable with or find appropriate, it should be okay to say so. Sexual assaults harm not just the individual but also the community at large. So it’s really everyone’s responsibility to speak up.”
HC: Sometimes it can be difficult for sexual assault victims (or any assault victim) to come forward. What advice can you offer to those who feel ashamed to report these crimes?
FD: “I would tell them this: sexual assault is not about sex, it’s about power. So give yourself a break. You’ve done nothing wrong. For some reason it’s easier to blame ourselves than to blame others, and that’s not right. Unfortunately the memory will remain and time doesn’t really heal all wounds. ‘Stand up for yourself’ sounds clichĂ© but in the end it’s the only true way of caring for yourself. And by standing up – reporting sexual assault – you are challenging the power that others believe they have over you. It’s not only a personal statement but a political one.”
HC: What can we expect to see from you in the future?
FD: “While making art is always political, I want to make sure that my voice as well as those of other artists is not silenced. There’s a great quote from Leonard Bernstein after the assassination of JFK, and the gist of it is that as artists our response should be louder, stronger and even more intense.”
“In closing, I’d like to say that this is not a time to give up and ‘throw in the towel.’ Those who came before us made incredible sacrifices for the progress we’ve made. That we haven’t made enough, perhaps, or the fact that it is a struggle is not a reason to stop fighting the good fight.”
Want to follow Freddie and explore his art? Connect with him through the following:
Website: freddiedessau.weebly.com;Â Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fdessau;Â Instagram: @freddiedessau