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Melancholy & Malignancy
What started as a thought experiment about what depression would look like if it were a pathogen, bacteria, or parasite, became something larger when my mother was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. Although the original message I wanted to explore and convey changed, the method did not. No longer was this just a self-indulgent exploration strictly about depression and mental health, it became about the confluence of crushing grief, the arduous journey, and our struggles as a family over the last year. This body is rooted in my fascination with traditional medical illustration. I wanted to explore the contrast between the dispassionate enumeration, labeling, and description of microscopic bodies with the violent, overwhelming cacophony of emotion and the macroscopic destruction they are capable of. Organic shapes meant to invoke images of biopsies and microscope slides. Tragedies in vibrant pop tones deteriorating over time. Things that should be familiar, normal, and expected but are off enough to feel wrong. Structured repetitive aesthetic discomfort.
