'The Black Dog'
Artist Statement
The
Black Dog
The
choice of contemporary issue for an arts course commencing in November was a
timely opportunity to explore male health and depression.
‘The
Black Dog’ evolved over a period of 4 weeks drawing on influences from the
abstract expressionist art movement, utilising techniques and materials
explored during course lectures.
The
actual process of the creation of the Black Dog is evident in the
mismatched sizes and orientations of the
canvases and the introduction of inanimate objects being bought to life by
colours and effect.
The top
canvas represents turmoil amid the calm of the afflicted human mind depicted in
swirling sharply contrasting colours. Multi-coloured ‘disturbances’ arising
from pools of calm blue denote the sharp variances in serotonin levels of the
depression sufferer.
The mask
is a surgical device used in radiation cancer therapy and the absence of a
mouth opening depicts the ‘muteness’ and inability of the majority of males to
articulate their symptoms and fears around their general state of health, in
particular their emotional well-being.
The
bottom canvas represents a third stage and an optimal outcome for sufferers of
depression. The calm blues and abstract figures denote a happier place after
the disturbances have been funneled into a remedial treatment and rectified or
at least soothed. The smiling figures depict an outcome where the sufferers are
fully functional in society, able to articulate and enjoy the social
interactions of life, and are, for all intents and purposes, ‘cured’. The use
of analogous colours and contrast by the addition of painted wooden chips
represents the existence of, and potential for, residual turmoil dwelling deep
inside, albeit in a more manageable and less intrusive form.
No comments:
Post a Comment