This series was done as an investigation into my newly diagnosed illness. The images document a snapshot of daily life whilst dealing with, and trying to understand, these new problems. Exploring the ebb and flow of such a condition over consecutive days. Medium Format was chosen as the tool for creating the series, heavy and cumbersome, reflecting my own constrained movement. Through the use of abstraction I sought refuge in the creation of an alternative, boundless reality free from restrictions.
The process as a whole was a cathartic exploration to help understand my emotions towards it.
Chronic illness is often mythologised, as the sufferers and those around them go on a journey to adapt to a new reality of living with the condition. I have drawn from the work of Rothko and Newman, who both investigated myth and used abstraction as a means of understanding. This hugely influenced my way of seeing, abstraction invites and encourages the viewer to create their own interpretation.The images I have created can be seen both singularly; depicting a journey spanning a single day and holistically; demonstrating how chronic illness manifests itself in different ways over any time period.
