The exhibition “A Health Survey” was comforting to me and made me upset. Throughout the different types of arts and artists, it made me feel seen, and in others, it made me upset with the backstory of some of them. It made me feel seen because mental health in my family isn’t really talked about. There are times that I used to want to just stop doing anything and give up, but I was called lazy and said it was because of my phone. But I do want to succeed and I want to show people what I can do, it just gets really hard to do sometimes. It made me upset how some artists were being treated when trying to get medical help. When I saw one of the comics an artist made called “The Itchies”, I was annoyed and upset but not surprised at how she was being treated by doctors. I’ve heard many instances when black women were misdiagnosed because of the color of their skin. The two pieces I picked were “The Eel-The Perseverance”, by Christine DaCruz, and “Emotion Sorting Cape”, by Pollie Barden. I picked these two because it was focused on mental health and its importance.
The artwork “The Eel-The Perseverance”, by Christine DaCruz, is one out of six pieces that included animals. Her series included different types of hand-stitched embroidery thread with either photograph, an x-ray, and watercolor paper. DaCruz’s work is a reflection on being vulnerable, healing, being honest, and her identity. The pieces that included hand-stitched embroidery threaded animals represented the path she is on to deepen the connection to her spirit. She believed that animals were our teachers and that they offer lessons on healing our spirits. In the series she has created, the embroidered animals in the photographs symbolize life, death, and rebirth. “This series documents my transformation as I become more acquainted with myself, my purpose, and how I move forward now that I will have only myself to care for.” Her work conveys to the audience about self-care when we need it the most. DaCruz explains how we often give little self-care to ourselves when we need it the most. We mostly remember to take care of others rather than giving some time and rest to ourselves. It’s important that we remember that mental health is as important as our physical health. Christine DaCruz’s artworks portray the toll on poor mental health can do to someone. I think it makes us ask, why isn’t mental health talked about often in our families? Why does it feel like it’s taboo to talk about it, and make it seem like there’s something wrong with us? However, it also shows her giving herself the care she needs and her growth. Her works definitely portray activism.
The next artwork “Emotion Sorting Cape”, by Pollie Barden, is an artwork that includes a rainbow cape and a nose mask that is attached with a plastic bag. This piece of work is a tool for her to process her emotions. “The outer layer for working through the primary feeling. The inner layer for identifying and figuring out the underlying emotion(s) that support and feed my senses.” The lining of the cape stimulates a hug because of how tight it is on her, and the nose mask is to give her back her focus. She would go through her emotions and breath until she was back to herself and focused on the situation. She said that the cape is a part of her emotional journey to becoming a partner with her feelings. In the gallery, there is a video going through the process of her wearing the cape and nose mask when she’s angry. This artwork conveys how to cope with a breakdown or just to calm oneself. It shows that we can find something that brings us back from a bad place, and that conveys what mental health does to us. Why can’t this be a solution for some people? Why is it perceived as childish when we seek something that helps us go through a tough time? I believe that this work is activism because it brings awareness to what mental health can do to us and what we have to do to help us.
For my selfie, I wanted to do something that was inspired by the “Emotion Sorting Cape” by Pollie Barden. I really liked the idea of wearing something that made me feel like I was here. Usually, I dissociate from where I am or just daydream, and it’s a bad habit because it makes me feel like I’m not really here. I decided to wear a color that makes me happy and just makes me feel good enough to stay in the moment and not to miss it. I picked the color blue, a blue sweater that I recently bought and love, and blue makeup. Who would have guessed!? I love the color blue, and the different hues it has that can portray a different type of mood. I thought that if I wore a light color, it could wake me up from where I am. I especially love it when it’s light blue, like my sweater. I just decided to do blue makeup because I think it looks nice and because it makes me feel nice after. During the whole process, I just thought of how happy I was and how calm I was. I was in the moment, I was making sure I didn’t make a mistake with my eyes or lips, and I thought about the finishing product. I thought it was a simple idea but you could tell what my favorite color was in the photo, hopefully… I loved Pollie Barden's explanation of the colors and their way to bring us back into focus.
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