Balance: A three-part depiction of Bipolar Disorder
This is the final project for VART 1135, Visual Thinking. Professor Cunat asked us to think about something we made that semester and use that work as a direct influence. We were required to create three new artworks for a cohesive series (triptych), based on that piece. The artwork of mine that I chose to reference was a readymade visual and textual representation of a prescription pill bottle. That piece attempts to destigmatize mental health, its inclusion in public conversation, and demonstrates the different, sometimes juxtaposing, opinions on medication as a treatment for mental health.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My artwork is a series of edited photographs intended to garner visibility for the limitations of mental health disorders.
This particular series illustrates the emotional perspective of the three general phases of Bipolar II disorder: mania, euthymia, and depression. While they are separate pieces, the act of placing them together provides a comprehensive view of the spectrum of varying emotions, temptations, symptoms, etc., that a person encounters when they have Bipolar II.
I created a cohesive photo collage that demonstrates the barrage of different emotions within each phase, so while there are lots of varying items in them, the placement of them together or on top of each other attests to the overstimulation and overwhelming nature of enduring Bipolar disorder. Each piece consists of photographs taken on iPhone, on a Nikon camera, and scanned on a printer. The variety in these methods allowed for experimentation in movement and light techniques. The images were edited together in Adobe Photoshop, then printed and exhibited on 16x20” photo paper.