Brittany Long and Chris Geier
The Story
Brittany Long
Rockford, IL
Social Media:
Survivor of stage 3 triple negative breast cancer
Twist on Cancer: After a cancer diagnosis it seems like your life hits the pause button while the rest of the world keeps on playing. You are forced to make decisions that will impact the rest of your life. There's no true good answer so you choose what's best for you at the time. I was blessed to be put in contact with a woman who was only a few months ahead of me in her breast cancer journey. Being able to ask her questions, and there were many, helped ease my anxiety since she had been there and done that.
Once I finished treatment I noticed the lack of support in our area. One hospital had a group but as someone diagnosed in their 30s I was making very different decisions than someone 60 or older. My mentor put me in contact with a fellow survivor who was trying to start a support group for younger women. Meeting her gave me an idea! Long story short, a local online support group was born. While we can't prevent others from walking the same path, we can be there to support them and answer all their questions. When you are faced with a tough decision there's always a way to "twist out" some positive.
Social Media:
Survivor of stage 3 triple negative breast cancer
Twist on Cancer: After a cancer diagnosis it seems like your life hits the pause button while the rest of the world keeps on playing. You are forced to make decisions that will impact the rest of your life. There's no true good answer so you choose what's best for you at the time. I was blessed to be put in contact with a woman who was only a few months ahead of me in her breast cancer journey. Being able to ask her questions, and there were many, helped ease my anxiety since she had been there and done that.
Once I finished treatment I noticed the lack of support in our area. One hospital had a group but as someone diagnosed in their 30s I was making very different decisions than someone 60 or older. My mentor put me in contact with a fellow survivor who was trying to start a support group for younger women. Meeting her gave me an idea! Long story short, a local online support group was born. While we can't prevent others from walking the same path, we can be there to support them and answer all their questions. When you are faced with a tough decision there's always a way to "twist out" some positive.
Chris Geier
Wisconsin
cgeier.com
Social Media: @chrisgeier (IG)
“Time Enough at Last”
Oil on canvas
48" x 36"
$150
Artist Statement: This painting began as a reflection on some key points throughout mine and Brittany’s conversations. In our very first dialogue, Brittany shared with me that a significant change she experienced throughout her journey with cancer was how it impacted her assessment of time. Her anecdotes on how she was forced to have previously unthinkable conversations with her spouse and family members regarding her future, and how that changed her relationship with time, were some of the most profound moments for me. I wanted time to have a central impact on this piece but not with a literal clock representation. I decided a river, flowing and bisecting through the painting would suffice and serve to represent Brittany’s strength (she participated in a 5k while in chemo!) as well. Water sustains all life and can carve through canyons, an undeniably powerful force. The second most important narrative I needed to translate was how, for Brittany to attempt to preserve a beautiful budding life (she had just given birth to her daughter shortly before diagnoses), she would have to endure highly toxic treatment through chemotherapy. There are two figures in the piece that represent the same individual. There’s a stark contrast between the two figures. One is naturally skin toned and floating upwards, the other is entirely red hues and appears as if being shed away from the other and they are suspended in an almost Yin-yang fashion – metaphorically implying that we all exist as the totality of our experiences, all at once.
cgeier.com
Social Media: @chrisgeier (IG)
“Time Enough at Last”
Oil on canvas
48" x 36"
$150
Artist Statement: This painting began as a reflection on some key points throughout mine and Brittany’s conversations. In our very first dialogue, Brittany shared with me that a significant change she experienced throughout her journey with cancer was how it impacted her assessment of time. Her anecdotes on how she was forced to have previously unthinkable conversations with her spouse and family members regarding her future, and how that changed her relationship with time, were some of the most profound moments for me. I wanted time to have a central impact on this piece but not with a literal clock representation. I decided a river, flowing and bisecting through the painting would suffice and serve to represent Brittany’s strength (she participated in a 5k while in chemo!) as well. Water sustains all life and can carve through canyons, an undeniably powerful force. The second most important narrative I needed to translate was how, for Brittany to attempt to preserve a beautiful budding life (she had just given birth to her daughter shortly before diagnoses), she would have to endure highly toxic treatment through chemotherapy. There are two figures in the piece that represent the same individual. There’s a stark contrast between the two figures. One is naturally skin toned and floating upwards, the other is entirely red hues and appears as if being shed away from the other and they are suspended in an almost Yin-yang fashion – metaphorically implying that we all exist as the totality of our experiences, all at once.
The Reveal