Is it possible to represent
Clinical Depression in photographic images? When those of us who do not suffer
from this illness are feeling low, representing our feelings in an artistic way
is surely the last thing that we want to do, so why should those who are
regularly in a depressed state be any different? Whereas those whose illnesses
result in mood swings (Van Gogh springs to mind) might wish to create during
positive or “high” periods Clinical Depression is, more often than not, devoid
of “highs”. It was hardly surprising, therefore, that my interrogation of
search engines produced very little of note when primed with the words “clinical
depression” and “images”.
However, my research did throw up
a few hits, the most notable of which was a series of images produced by
Christian Hopkins, a young sufferer from Clinical Depression in the USA.
Hopkins, who was studying biochemistry at college, took up a camera a year
after his diagnosis, in order to use photography as a means of coping with the
illness. He produced images in order to try to express his feelings and posted
them onto his Flickr account. Sadly, he wiped the account and removed the
photographs a year or two ago during a severe bout of depression, but not before they
had been picked up by others. A selection of these images, found on the
internet (see reference) is shown below (Images 1-4).
Image 1 (Christian Hopkins)
Image 2 (Christian Hopkins)
Image 3 (Christian Hopkins)
Image 4 (Christian Hopkins)
Considering that he had no
photographic training Hopkins’ images are impressive, both from the point of
view of technique (in particular composition) and also artistic input. Images 1
and 4, in particular, have a surrealistic feel to them. However it is Image 3,
the self-portrait in the bath, which for me comes closest to representing
Hopkins’ illness. One feature of Clinical Depression, at least in my mother’s
case, is extreme lethargy – a lack of the necessary willpower to change or,
indeed, to do anything. Whilst Hopkins may have been attempting to create a
different effect, lethargy and low self-esteem (another feature of Clinical
Depression) appear to come across in this picture.
Can these images inform my own
project work? I think that they can help me in trying to represent my own moods when I used to spend time with my mother. It would be difficult for me to try to
produce images representing my mother’s feelings, both because I simply don’t
know exactly how she felt and also because, as a sufferer from Clinical Depression,
she was at the other end of her life when compared with Christian Hopkins.
I hope that Hopkins has overcome
his illness. Meanwhile, my research continues.
Reference: see http://petapixel.com/2013/04/15/photographer-creates-emotive-images-to-help-cope-with-depression/
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