What strikes me about artist, David Mortimer’s, exhibition is his use of “glitter.”
“[Glitter] is a symbol of my life in a way. It’s about trying to cover up, glamorize, a really kind of ugly situation and a really hard situation,” said David, as reported by The Kansas City Star.
“I like the humble aspect of glitter. It’s also reflective of my journey. What do you do when you are diagnosed at 3 months old with a really fatal disease?”
You try to make the best out of your situation. You try to find the light-the silver lining. And that’s exactly what David wanted to get across in his exhibition pieces.
David Mortimer, 36, earned his Fine Arts degree at Kansas City Art Institute, before obtaining his masters at School of Visual Arts in New York. He is married, and he and his wife, Shannon, have two young sons, Noah and Liam.
He also has cystic fibrosis (CF).
In his most recent exhibition, titled “Cure,” David has drawn inspiration from his life with a chronic illness and made it tangible on canvas.
If we’re being honest, I oftentimes find certain forms of art to be rather pretentious–rather mundane.
So, I went into reading this article about David Mortimer a bit skeptical. But I found myself pleasantly surprised. I am admittedly, thoroughly impressed–not only by his work, but by the positive attitude he’s been able to maintain despite the challenges that accompany having a chronic illness.
David has been living with CF since the beginning. His parents, he reports, were very supportive and diligent about his treatments, one of which was called “clapping treatment.” For those of you diagnosed with CF, you probably know “the clapping treatment” all too well. You lay on your back and someone slaps, or “claps”, on your chest to loosen up phlegm that might be built up around the lungs.
David wasn’t expected to live very long, so his whole lif, he’s had to face the reality of death–something most people try not to do.
Cystic fibrosis is an “invisible disease.” In other words, you can’t really see the toll it’s taking on its host. This can make it hard for people without CF to understand the severity.
“Three to four times a day, every day, I get asked if I have a cold, or somebody says, ‘You better get that cough checked out,'” said David.
Certainly, there is an element of “hiding” for people like David. Having kept his disease to himself for most of his life, it finally got to the point that he wanted to speak out. He didn’t want to hide anymore. David has since made it his mission to pursue what he calls, “healing.” From his religion and through his art.
“[My art] gave me permission to be honest, to be raw. Once I opened the gates, it just came pouring out.”
Read more about David’s “Cure” exhibition here.
PatientWorthy teamed up with CysticLife.org to spread awareness of CF and support their collaboration with the Mayo Clinic for a community-driven research project investigating the benefits of exercise for CF patients. If you’re interested in contributing to the fund or want to become a CysticLife member, drop by CysticLife.org or donate here today! Don’t forget to share this post!
