Artistic Statement
To begin, I ask you to find a clear space,
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a level space,
a defined space
And breathe in
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Through this artwork, I hope to explore experiences of chronic pain within the body and attempt to convey these experiences through costuming, masks, and movement.
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Traditionally, masks are seen as a symbol of disguise, the chance to escape the world by hiding one's face. However, in this series, the masks are instead a tool made to allow individuals to wear someone else's burden on top of their own. Each piece has styrofoam spheres protruding from inside the mask, placed so that they will press against a sensitive area on the face. Combined with the tight elastic band to hold the mask in place, the pressure on places such as temples, eye sockets, and cheeks is designed to give the effect of an oncoming headache, bringing discomfort to the wearer. The perception of health is defined by a hegemonic visual standard, meaning that what we define as healthy conditions are limited to what we see being conveyed as a public, or what we feel as an individual. Even if there are visual signals indicating pain, there is no physical way of knowing just how another person experiences pain, thus leading to complications in how society responds to pain management. I believe that by coming to terms with this physical sense of discomfort through these masks is one of the steps taken to build awareness to the experiences of others and in the process, become more empathetic.
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our pain exists only within you
Your pain does not control you
Your pain does not define you
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and yet….
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The viewer's experience of wearing these masks is augmented by the positioning of the bodies shown modelling the masks in the videos. These figures are performing pain alleviation rituals often found on western health and wellness blogs. Designed to alleviate these afflictions, these exercises or stretches emphasize ideas around coping mechanisms and their effectiveness in solving long-term physical impairments, daily struggles or occasional irritations. Techniques such as drinking tea or rubbing your temples are sure to do something to the body, but how far can these routines take us when dealing with chronic agony? By putting forth the idea that people retain a certain level of control over their bodies based on the actions they take to “fix” themselves, it suggests that those who fail to do so are weak and should not receive further social or institutional aid. The intention here is not to question if they work or not, but rather to deliberate how these impressions of “solutions” or “cures” can affect the level of care given to people with variating disabilities.
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Understand your pain.
Understand that it only exists within the confines of your body
and within your body alone
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Understand that no one else can feel the burning in your head,
the ache on your shoulder,
the twist of your belly
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Breathe in
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I am interested in the relationship between the body and empathy. My intention with this work is to open up a dialog about the shared experience of existing in a body and to give people the opportunity to take on the pain of someone else through visual and animate interventions. I also intend to discuss how different levels of pain are often addressed on online platforms and how visual media has the ability to perpetuate personal experiences of pain as superficial and controllable through these “easy to follow” home remedies.
Chase the respite from inside your chest and through your nose
Moving faster through your core and out into the air that surrounds you
Giving no time for hesitation, contemplation,
neglecting the ache from inside your bones
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And then breathe in.
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Sam Ann Hill, 2021