What can I say to prepare the viewer for this journey into the very darkest part of my mind?
Surely I must attempt an explanation - no work of mine has cried out for this kind of interpretation. Yet I believe that I will leave that to up to you. What I shall state here is simply my reason for creating this body of images. Perhaps I will try to justify, as that which contained herein may offend some of you.
So here it goes: Underworld 2 - Sub-basement is dedicated to my worst fear, whereas Underworld 1 dealt with more conscious day-to-day emotions. Put quite simply, I have a phobia, as do many of us. A common one, perhaps, maybe common but seldom acknowledged. It revolves around (without getting too personal here) my dread of medical situations and procedures , and many of the images are inspired by surgeries and procedures that I had foisted upon me as a child and a teen, and by choice as an adult as well. Thankfully I was never a sickly child, and most of what I endured was "routine" - tonsillectomy, wisdom teeth extraction, the surgical setting of a broken bone. Yet these events drove into my mind a fear so deep and primal that I still suffer abject terror when confronted with such situations today. I won't delve into the details of phobias beyond this; anyone who is phobic certianly knows what I am referring to here - panic, avoidance, anxiety, misery. ...
Some of the images may seem to demonize medicine and doctors, I must say I have no hatred or ill-will whatsoever for providers of medical care. Yet I do fear them often. I am very grateful that I was able to receive the treatment I got, terror and all, otherwise I would not have the quality of life I now enjoy. I have included a few images to bear out my gratitude and in the interest of being fair. The rest of the pictures are my way of expressing the feelings and thoughts that went (and go) through my mind regarding medical situations, surgeries and procedures.
My hope in producing this is to eventually "cure" my fear. My major surgery on November 8th, 2001 was the ultimate test for me. In order to get rid of unwanted junk in a real basement you must dust away the cobwebs and go down there and sort through it and discard what you don't want. That is what I am doing here.
So click on the light and follow me into the blackest cellar, where I store my most nightmarish notions. But be warned; especially those of you who suffer similar fears - you may find yourself in the cellar of your own dark terrors! And if you do discover that your "basement " is crammed full of this kind of unwanted junk, I wish you the best of luck in getting rid of it.
