Limited-edition artist book by Carmen Winant

The Print Center is pleased to announce the release of its new publication, A Brand New End: Survival and Its Pictures, by artist Carmen Winant. The book explores, through visual culture and photographic representation, the crisis of domestic violence and the urgency of nonprofit advocacy to ameliorate it. Published by The Print Center in an edition of 1,000, A Brand New End brings together a diverse selection of writers, scholars, advocates, artists and practitioners, featuring essays and archival materials from Philadelphia’s Women In Transition (WIT) and Denver’s National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), two organizations that support women who have experienced domestic violence.

The book marks the final chapter of a multi-faceted project by Winant that began with a solo exhibition of newly commissioned works in the Spring of 2022 and comprised public interventions, a film and public programs—all of which incorporated historical and contemporary representations of oppression, liberation and self-expression drawn from the archives of WIT and NCADV.

A Brand New End pairs newly commissioned texts and archival materials (mostly from the late 1970s), that illuminate the often invisible experiences of women, as well as feminist strategies for survival, revolt and self-determination. The book highlights the power of print to depict how women view themselves and how photography can serve as a tool in the struggle for individual autonomy and self-representation. Through its expansive consideration of imagemaking, domestic violence and the larger feminist movement, A Brand New End critically examines the problems and possibilities of visualizing domestic violence and survival.

Text contributors include: Irene Brantley, Suzanne Lacy and Laia Abril, on T-shirts made by survivors; Donna Ferrato, on her iconic Time magazine cover stories profiling survivors; Ruth M. Glenn, on lapel pins worn by advocates; Ksenia Nouril, on the photographic archives and 35mm slides; Catherine Opie, on photographs of WIT staff operating a domestic violence hotline; Elias Rodrigues and Paige Sweet, on newspaper clippings about abuse and support; Sangi Ravichandran, on 35mm slides from the archives of WIT and NCADC; Drew Sawyer, on photographs taken by survivors; and Carmen Winant on WIT’s “job puzzle.”

Winant says, “I envisioned this project to examine how survivors become empowered and the systems of support that enable that process through lived, historical source material. The proximity and vitality of the subjects themselves radiate throughout this project in a way that I hope shines a light on not only on the crisis of domestic violence, but also on the incredible work that is being done to empower survivors.”

Since the start of the pandemic, The American Journal of Emergency Medicine has reported a 25–33 percent increase of domestic violence globally. Winant’s approach to addressing the domestic violence crisis comes alive through imagery that explores how women are supported in achieving personal agency with the help of organizations like WIT and NCADV. A Brand New End is a powerful collection of profound work by an artist who advocates for women who are rewriting their stories and finding strength to overcome unthinkable challenges.

The launch of the book will be accompanied by a panel discussion held at The Print Center and on Zoom on Thursday, October 27 at 6pm (ET). Carmen Winant will be joined in conversation by the designer of the book Yoonjai Choi, partner, Common Name; Ksenia Nouril, exhibition curator; Drew Sawyer, Phillip Leonian and Edith Rosenbaum Leonian Curator, Brooklyn Museum; and Paige Sweet, assistant professor of sociology, University of Michigan.

A Brand New End: Survival and Its Pictures has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

*Images above: (1) T-shirts from the Clothesline Project, from the archive of Women In Transition. (2) Ms. Magazine, August 1976 cover, “Battered Wives: Help For The Secret Victim Next Door”. (3) Slides from the archives of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Women In Transition. (5) Cards from Women In Transition’s “job puzzle”. (6) Newspaper clipping from the archive of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, York Dispatch, “Violent Nights”. (7) Anti-domestic violence activist buttons and lapel pins. (8) Snapshots of domestic violence hotline from the archive of Women In Transition.