Activist Art: Depression
Completed January 2010.
12"x16"; pen&ink on watercolor paper.
This piece was created when I was in the depths of a creative block, and quite depressed about it. This is a normal part of my creative cycle, but I can never seem to remember that when I'm in it! It is meant to portray the state of being torn between a desperate yearning for something that seems impossible on the one hand, and the desire to hide from it on the other. This is also about as close to a self-portrait as I ever get.
I consider it activist art because of the stigma that exists around mental illness of all kinds. While great strides have been made around the medical understanding of depression, the societal view of it is still as something that you can "just snap out of", as a personal failing, stemming from laziness or a lack of willpower. These views are not only false, they are damaging, and make it harder for people with the condition to seek treatment or even just live their lives.
Links:
Read my blog post about this piece.
Original is for sale. Contact the artist for more information.
12"x16"; pen&ink on watercolor paper.
This piece was created when I was in the depths of a creative block, and quite depressed about it. This is a normal part of my creative cycle, but I can never seem to remember that when I'm in it! It is meant to portray the state of being torn between a desperate yearning for something that seems impossible on the one hand, and the desire to hide from it on the other. This is also about as close to a self-portrait as I ever get.
I consider it activist art because of the stigma that exists around mental illness of all kinds. While great strides have been made around the medical understanding of depression, the societal view of it is still as something that you can "just snap out of", as a personal failing, stemming from laziness or a lack of willpower. These views are not only false, they are damaging, and make it harder for people with the condition to seek treatment or even just live their lives.
Links:
- Mental Illness 101
- Even Wild Women Get the Blues
- Let's Bust Some Myths: Depressed People Are Always Sad or They're Faking!
- Wikipedia: Major Depressive Disorder
Read my blog post about this piece.
Original is for sale. Contact the artist for more information.