Martha Carlson and Lauren Herrmann
The Story
Martha Carlson
Martha Carlson
Brookefield, IL
Social Media: @ mbcarls (IG); @Martha__Carlson (Twitter)
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: Living long-term with stage IV cancer has meant leaving behind the idea that I can control everything in my life. I have learned that there are so many things I can't anticipate, for good or bad. This means that flexibility and acceptance are important, as are open-mindedness and empathy. It has been difficult to have to keep going in for treatment every three weeks and to lose so many friends to the same disease, so I suppose it's taken a kind of courage to keep on living and welcoming love and friendships. It's been so wonderful to get to know Lauren and how she creates and thinks about art.
Brookefield, IL
Social Media: @ mbcarls (IG); @Martha__Carlson (Twitter)
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: Living long-term with stage IV cancer has meant leaving behind the idea that I can control everything in my life. I have learned that there are so many things I can't anticipate, for good or bad. This means that flexibility and acceptance are important, as are open-mindedness and empathy. It has been difficult to have to keep going in for treatment every three weeks and to lose so many friends to the same disease, so I suppose it's taken a kind of courage to keep on living and welcoming love and friendships. It's been so wonderful to get to know Lauren and how she creates and thinks about art.
Lauren Herrmann
Chicago,Illinois
"Now. Here."
18 x 24
$650
Double-sided collage, acrylic, graphite on masonite & watercolor paper with linen hinge.
Artist Statement: As a visual artist (in photography, collage and mixed media) I have always been drawn to the cycles of life and death and all of the emotions tied to it. Color, symbolism, intuition, rhythm, asymmetry, equilibrium and contrast are crucial elements I consider when approaching the visual aspect of my work. Underneath, I always try to ground it in some kind of feeling. Symbolism and color, in particular, can be an incredibly resonant vehicle for emotional connection, wherein my hope is that my work speaks for itself, directly to the heart and soul of the onlooker; each person connecting with it in their own, personal way.
When I learned about the Brushes with Cancer Program I was instantly interested, as I do similar work through a therapeutic branch of my portraiture, geared toward mental health and emotional expression. I was paired with Martha, a cancer patient, who quickly reminded me of my mother. In our conversations I found myself reflecting on my own experience, as the daughter of a cancer patient, in a new light. Martha was very open and allowed me to get at the heart of her feelings, where I wanted the piece to grow from. There were clear layers to the feelings and I proposed a piece that would illustrate that experience in a tactile way, literally having one piece resting atop another; both surface and depth. I had intended the piece to be a diptych, but once I lifted the top layer for the first time to reveal the painting beneath, I intuitively realized it wanted to be a triptych, and I created the collage on the underside, bridging the two pieces both literally and symbolically.
The final presentation feels a bit like an experience, and as such may be difficult to fully translate into 2D images. What is pictured in this gallery are the front and back of the collage. The painting underneath is best revealed in person.
I very much enjoyed the process, I'm proud of the results, and I look forward to participating again.
"Now. Here."
18 x 24
$650
Double-sided collage, acrylic, graphite on masonite & watercolor paper with linen hinge.
Artist Statement: As a visual artist (in photography, collage and mixed media) I have always been drawn to the cycles of life and death and all of the emotions tied to it. Color, symbolism, intuition, rhythm, asymmetry, equilibrium and contrast are crucial elements I consider when approaching the visual aspect of my work. Underneath, I always try to ground it in some kind of feeling. Symbolism and color, in particular, can be an incredibly resonant vehicle for emotional connection, wherein my hope is that my work speaks for itself, directly to the heart and soul of the onlooker; each person connecting with it in their own, personal way.
When I learned about the Brushes with Cancer Program I was instantly interested, as I do similar work through a therapeutic branch of my portraiture, geared toward mental health and emotional expression. I was paired with Martha, a cancer patient, who quickly reminded me of my mother. In our conversations I found myself reflecting on my own experience, as the daughter of a cancer patient, in a new light. Martha was very open and allowed me to get at the heart of her feelings, where I wanted the piece to grow from. There were clear layers to the feelings and I proposed a piece that would illustrate that experience in a tactile way, literally having one piece resting atop another; both surface and depth. I had intended the piece to be a diptych, but once I lifted the top layer for the first time to reveal the painting beneath, I intuitively realized it wanted to be a triptych, and I created the collage on the underside, bridging the two pieces both literally and symbolically.
The final presentation feels a bit like an experience, and as such may be difficult to fully translate into 2D images. What is pictured in this gallery are the front and back of the collage. The painting underneath is best revealed in person.
I very much enjoyed the process, I'm proud of the results, and I look forward to participating again.