Right off the bat I’m putting the warning out there. This post features SI cutting, so if that is triggering for you, don’t read it. The images will be behind a clickthrough, so they can be easily skipped.
Alright, with that all said, let’s get on with this post. I wanted to post these two pictures as they have an interesting dichotomy. While both are recognizable as SI photos, the two are very different. Keep on reading to see what I mean.
The first image is one a lot of people will instantly recognize. A hand holding a blood covered razor blade, with drops of blood going down the drain in the background. While we don’t see the cut, we know there must be one there. The image is raw and simplistic. The bare bones of SI laid out in a single frame. It calls to mind all the other images we associate with ritual cutting. The shallow cuts across the arm, leg or stomach; The faint scars of cuts from the past.
And then we have the second photo. In stark contrast the the brightly lit first photo, this one is in the dark, with only a sliver of light shining through. Smoke hangs in the air with an ephemeral presence, while the woman below lies looking up. On her arm are the marks from the razor, those tiny cuts repeated over and over again. Why she cuts is unknown, but it is something deeply personal. The photo is almost a violation, like the light, exposing her cutting and her secrets to the world.
The photos, in a simple way, define the two sides of ritual cutting. The raw action of the blade, coupled with the emotional release.
Special thanks to ChaChuck for sending in these photos.
If you’re looking for more information regarding self harm, this website can help.
