My Brain Stain series exploits the aesthetic qualities of brain scans of people experiencing mental health conditions. PET scans measure changes associated with blood flow. Comparing scans reveals compelling differences between healthy brains and those affected by mental illness through presence, absence, and proportion of certain hues. For example, a PET scan of a depressed brain shows predominance of blue, which indicates decreased activity, and little yellow or orange, which indicates increased activity.
In this work, I combine solid areas of stitched embroidery thread with saturated acrylic paint stains. The translation of digital imagery into the handmade is a metaphor for the integration of scientific data with more nuanced and subjective experience. Universal emotions are cloaked in the language of clinical technology. My interest is in this combination of objective data with more poetic interpretation as a reflection of both corporeal and clinical experiences of mental illness.
