“Oncolith No. 2”
Jennifer McNulty
Mount Ephraim, NJ
Social Media:@jenn_mcnulty (Instagram); Jennifer McNulty (Facebook)
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: Only a few weeks shy of my 39th birthday, I was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Melanoma. Unbeknownst to me, I had an extremely large tumor covering my left lung and approaching my heart. I began immunotherapy, but ultimately ended up needing emergency surgery to remove the tumor and my entire left lung. Before surgery, I was told the risks. I was told there was a small chance I might not survive the surgery. But I was also told that if I didn’t have the surgery, there was a much greater chance I might not survive even a few more days. The pneumonectomy saved my life. I am still here for a reason. And that reason is my family—my two daughters (ages 3 & 5) and my husband. I no longer live one day at a time. I live for my future with them. For the birthdays I haven’t celebrated yet.
For the memories we haven’t made.
For the ordinary days I once took for granted. I’m still here. And I’m incredibly grateful to be here. My life looks different than I ever imagined it would, but every day with my family is a gift, God’s gift. I’m not just living one day at a time anymore. I’m living for the future.
Eric Niederman
New York
www.blobelisk.com
Social Media: @freshprintsoflongisland (Instagram)
Oncolith No. 2
Mixed media sculpture (3D printed polymer, clear acrylic rods, LED light, mat board)
25” x 25” x 25” (total projection area with light); 7” W x 17” H x 7” D
$2,811 (commemorating August 11, the day Jenn completed her final infusion and rang the bell)
Artist Statement: When I first met Jenn, we connected on a lot of levels. We’re both the same age, and we both have young children, so we immediately shared some common ground. Her story, the ups and downs, and especially the dark and light, inspired this work. Last year, Jenn discovered a spot on her chest that turned out to be melanoma. After having it removed, she developed a lingering cough. At the urging of her aunt, a melanoma survivor herself, she had it checked out. Doctors discovered a mass greater than 11 cm in her lung. She ultimately had that lung and part of the tissue surrounding her heart removed. Jenn shared the fear and anxiety of awaiting scan results, the over-interpretation of shadows, and the realization that behind a small spot, a totally different picture was developing beneath the surface. I became stuck on the idea that something isn’t always what it seems. I wanted to turn that idea on its head. Although cancer tried to reach Jenn’s heart, the only thing that truly has her heart is her family. I created an abstract, faceted form that, when illuminated from the right position, casts the shadow of Jenn and her family. Creating it required trial and error with geometry, light, distance, and angle. What emerged can look like one thing from almost every angle, but under the right conditions reveals something that was there all along. This piece is about transformation, and creating it has changed me as well.