For decades Americans have campaigned a War on Drugs to reduce illegal drug trade. Addicts have been looked down upon and often see as criminals. This is not true; people who struggle from drug addiction are still human beings, and their addiction does not only cause harm. Some artists channel their addiction in their work, and it makes our world a more beautiful place. I intend to share pieces by artists who have fought with addiction to display their incredibility and capability through their work. Different artists that will be included are Graham MacIndoe, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Thomas Kinkade.

Who Do I Really See? Exhibition

For decades Americans have campaigned a War on Drugs to reduce illegal drug trade. Addicts have been looked down upon and often see as criminals. This is not true; people who struggle from drug addiction are still human beings, and their addiction does not only cause harm. Some artists channel their addiction in their work, and it makes our world a more beautiful place. I intend to share pieces by artists who have fought with addiction to display their incredibility and capability through their work. Different artists that will be included are Graham MacIndoe, Thomas Kinkade, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

I wanted to do my curatorial around the topic of addiction. Many people everyday struggle with their own personal addictions. The technical definition of addiction is, “a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health. Users may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others.” Even though addiction can be caused by different factors, they can seriously affect someone’s personality and alter the way they live. Some addicts may be proficient at hiding what is actually under the surface.

The main theme that I wanted to focus on is that “addiction is a disease.” In today’s culture, it appears that physical illness is looked at with more severity than mental illness when that is not the case. Mental illness, such as addiction, can still debilitate people just as much as physical illness; in some instances, even more. Throughout the curatorial I wanted to display pieces from artists that portray different addictions as gruesome as they appear inside the distressed individual. I am interested in finding mixed media in order to truly speak to every different spectator in order for them to leave completely grasping the message. I want this curatorial to allow viewers to comprehend addiction from a whole new perspective.