A plastic doll is stretched out onto a circuit board, her legs tied together and wires running across her body. She is surrounded by rectangles with bright, lively, vibrant colors and photographs, generating an eerie sense of chaos. The doll is a creation as hideous as the disease that inspired it.
“When people ask you questions about cancer, it’s really difficult to put it into words and understand so much feeling. It is different being able to express it in art; it’s really different to see honest expression,” said University junior Phoebe Lev, whose cancer-embattled mother is the creator of “Radiation Barbie.”
Handmade felted hats, quilted bras for life and painted masterpieces will all be featured in Friday’s cancer-inspired art show, sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers and First Friday Art Walk in downtown Eugene. Guests will be able to see works from more than 20 artists, whose ages range from 6 to 75.
Selected pieces will be auctioned off, and all profits will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “The purpose of the show is not to raise a lot of money. I mean, that would be great, but it’s really just to provide an outlet for the artists,” said University senior Whitney Pollack, an event organizer whose mother is a three-time cancer survivor. Pollack has been active in the fight against cancer, and has already raised $7,000 for the cause. She is training for a fund-raising marathon. Pollack wanted to find an outlet for artists who have been affected by cancer, whether they are caretakers, family members or patients. “Each artist has like the most amazing stories.
The biographies themselves that tie all the art together make the show incredibly powerful,” said Pollack. The creations are sometimes difficult to interpret, and not everything appears obviously related to cancer. “It really varies. Some people are celebrating their recovery and other people are grieving the loss of a loved one,” Pollack said.
Almost everyone has been impacted by cancer in some way, Pollack explained, but people don’t necessarily have a venue to put the truth out there. “It’s a way to celebrate life and bring the community together,” she said.
Lev, Pollack’s longtime friend and fellow collaborator, originally came up with the idea to bring such an art show to Eugene after her mother, an artist, hosted her own show in Vermont. A few years ago, her mother’s health tragically deteriorated, and treatments only increased the stress level. “During the time when she was going through treatment, she lost feeling in her hands,” Lev said.
The cancer dealt a major blow to her mother, but what the cancer had done to her body physically led to new creativity.
“I never was really sure what she was doing, I thought she was just keeping herself busy. But a year later I saw all this beautiful artwork. She found a way to do it and I just thought it was really beautiful, it was really intense and really personal,” Lev said. She would go for walks around the neighborhood and find little pieces of metal and anything she could get her hands on, Lev explains. When Lev’s mother began revealing her creations to her friends and family, they found some very dark vibes. “People were a little taken aback at first,” Lev said. Nevertheless, Lev said it was a key outlet for helping her get through treatment. “Its something that she needs to do,” she said.
Lev’s mom has since been making a strong recovery, and it reflects in her art as well.
“Her brain was definitely very cloudy when she was in chemo, there are more details now, there is definitely shift,” Lev said. Once a person has experienced the nightmares of cancer, its reality never veers too far from one’s consciousness. “At this point it’s just a guessing game. You never really know. We’re just waiting and seeing what happens,” Lev said. “I’m in awe of her and that she puts herself out there, and it’s all very honest. I’m really, really proud of her.”
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