Facing the Yorkshire Ripper: The Art of Survival

by Mo Lea

Overview

As a survivor of a brutal attack by the Yorkshire Ripper, this book gives fresh insight into the consequences of being labeled a victim of this notorious serial killer.

Mo Lea was followed home and attacked by Peter Sutcliffe, who hit her over the head repeatedly with a hammer. She was stabbed with a screwdriver leaving her with life threatening injuries. The book reveals how Mo has wrestled with the past, struggling to come to terms with the well-trodden, morbid narrative. She has written a new, fresh perspective for the present day.

Her writing offers an alternative account, one which repositions her as a survivor with a success story. While sympathy has its place for the victims, this book gives insight into processes of recovery and success. Mo had no control over unwanted media interventions. Sometimes the Ripper story would appear on the morning news while she was getting ready to go to work. She learnt to contain her anxiety but she could neither predict or escape these uncomfortable moments that reminded her of her past trauma.

Mo Lea’s art practice has been an important factor in her life. She has been fortunate to use this as an outlet to explore her pain, anger, suffering and recovery.

After years of personal growth and recovery, a short film was made of Mo Lea creating a drawing from the iconic photograph of the man who had tried to take her life. She is filmed ripping up the Ripper. She is filmed tearing up the portrait that she had so carefully drawn, rendering him as disposable as a piece of litter. The film shows how Mo turned her story around, making Sutcliffe the victim and herself, the triumphant survivor.

Mo had finally found a way of stepping out of the frame. She no longer felt Iike running away. The illustrations contained within describe better than any words, her journey from tragic despair to calmness and acceptance. By writing this book Mo Lea has found a way to reclaim her story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526777577
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	12/28/2020
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mo Lea is from a working class background in Liverpool. Despite having been attacked by the Yorkshire Ripper she has had a successful career teaching in a range of institutions over the years ranging from Probation services, Junior, Secondary and Further and Higher Education at Masters level in the UK, USA, Malaysia, and in the South Pacific.

Mo is a practicing artist and throughout her teaching, she has exhibited new bodies of work every few years in the cities where she's lived including London, Los Angeles and New York.

In her younger years she used drawing to express conditions of memory and trauma, finding the creative process both healing and calming.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 1

Chapter 1 Liverpool Art Lessons 1

Chapter 2 Art School 6

Chapter 3 On My Way Home 13

Chapter 4 Imprint 26

Chapter 5 Dark to Light 43

Chapter 6 City of Angels 51

Chapter 7 Redraw 64

Chapter 8 Colour Shift 77

Chapter 9 Love Affair 88

Chapter 10 Restoration 98

Chapter 11 Camera Obscura 109

Chapter 12 The Counselling Years 123

Chapter 13 Drawn to Beautiful Things 133

Chapter 14 Reparation 139

Chapter 15 Reframe 149

Chapter 16 Remake 155

Chapter 17 Release 158

Appendix: Further Information on Images 163