"On the Spectrum (Korsakoff's Syndrome)"

Aloha Friends,

Back to screenprinting! I have been all over! Traveling, teaching and just adjusting back to life on the island after a long and wonderful summer. I am still working on getting my home studio set up and running BUT I just bought a screen, a scoop coater, emulsion and ink yesterday so I am very excited to see what happens! I just put on the first coat of emulsion on my brand spanking new screen and am waiting for it to dry. The sun is out and shining so it's a great time to expose a screen. I've got my design and I am ready to go! Check back later to see how some of my new designs turn out!

Until then please check out the latest in my On the Spectrum series. I am on letter K! This series is really coming along and I am really excited to start on the next print in my very own studio! Mahalo for looking!

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On the Spectrum is a 26 part print series, one for each letter of the alphabet, that explores interactions of mental illnesses, developmental disorders and perceived normalcy as abstract landscapes. Please read my artist statement for more details.

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Artist Statement: There is a strange disconnect between mental illness and normalcy – as if there is a stark dividing line between the two: Black and white, us and them, completely separate. I believe this arbitrary classification, ill, healthy, recovering... is very similar to how we catalog our colors: blue, red, green... The visible color spectrum reflects the human experience. An experience where colors cannot be contained as single, definable points. The spectrum is one band of ever shifting, transitioning hues, as are we – our lives and our experiences are continuous and overlapping, yet discreet.

We all exist in a world with other people. We interact daily with a wide range of personalities. It is not possible to limit your experience to “normal.” We are but one piece in the cosmos. No one exists in a vacuum. So instead of pushing past others whose mental or physical health might not reflect exactly our own, we must embrace.

We are made of many parts: our personalities, our bodies, and our world.

***

On The Spectrum (Korsakoff's Syndrome)

2015

Screen Print on Paper

15" x 11" 

$100 (unframed)

Details:

***

Characteristics:

Korsakoff's syndrome is a manifestation of Wernicke's encephalopathy, also called Wernicke´s disease. It happens in Wernicke's disease in almost all alcohol abusers and is rare among the other patients.This neurological disorder is caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin B₁) in the brain, and is also added by neurotoxic effects of alcohol. 

There are six major symptoms of Korsakoff's syndrome:

1. anterograde amnesia
2. retrograde amnesia, severe memory loss
3. confabulation, that is, invented memories which are then taken as true due to gaps in memory sometimes associated with blackouts
4. minimal content in conversation
5. lack of insight
6. apathy - the patients lose interest in things quickly and generally appear indifferent to change.

Kolb, Bryan; Whishaw, Ian Q. (2003). Fundamentals of human neuropsychology. New York: Worth Publishers. p. 473. ISBN 978-0-7167-5300-1. OCLC 55617319

"What is Korsakoff’s syndrome?". Alzheimer's Society. October 2008

Don't forget to follow me on instagram if you'd like!

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

All work is copyright 2015 Boz Schurr. Please do not use without my permission. Mahalo!

"On the Spectrum (Insomnia)"

Aloha Friends,

School starts in less than a week! I am so excited to begin my third year teaching high school students. I have a really good feeling about this year. And even though there is a lot of training and planning and general chaos I am sticking with this series. I am happy to say I should be well on my way to finishing by the end of the year *fingers crossed* Still looking for an idea for letter "Z!" If you've got a story to tell, please leave a comment or message me! Mahalo!

***

On the Spectrum is a 26 part print series, one for each letter of the alphabet, that explores interactions of mental illnesses, developmental disorders and perceived normalcy as abstract landscapes. Please read my artist statement for more details.

***

Artist Statement: There is a strange disconnect between mental illness and normalcy – as if there is a stark dividing line between the two: Black and white, us and them, completely separate. I believe this arbitrary classification, ill, healthy, recovering... is very similar to how we catalog our colors: blue, red, green... The visible color spectrum reflects the human experience. An experience where colors cannot be contained as single, definable points. The spectrum is one band of ever shifting, transitioning hues, as are we – our lives and our experiences are continuous and overlapping, yet discreet.

We all exist in a world with other people. We interact daily with a wide range of personalities. It is not possible to limit your experience to “normal.” We are but one piece in the cosmos. No one exists in a vacuum. So instead of pushing past others whose mental or physical health might not reflect exactly our own, we must embrace.

We are made of many parts: our personalities, our bodies, and our world.

***

On The Spectrum (Insomnia)

2015

Screen Print on Paper

15" x 11" 

$100 (unframed)

Details:

***

Characteristics:

Insomnia, or sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which there is an inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep as long as desired. While the term is sometimes used to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic or actigraphic evidence of disturbed sleep, this sleep disorder is often practically defined as a positive response to either of two questions: "Do you experience difficulty sleeping?" or "Do you have difficulty falling or staying asleep?"

Insomnia is most often thought of as both a medical sign and a symptom that can accompany several sleep, medical, and psychiatric disorders characterized by a persistent difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep or sleep of poor quality. Insomnia is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomnia can occur at any age, but it is particularly common in the elderly.^[4]Insomnia can be short term (up to three weeks) or long term (above 3–4 weeks); it can lead to memory problems, depression, irritability and an increased risk of heart disease and automobile related accidents.

Golub, R. M. (2012). "Insomnia". JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association 307 (24): 2653–2653. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.6219

Roth, T. (2007). "Insomnia: Definition, prevalence, etiology, and consequences". Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine 3 (5 Suppl): S7–10. PMC 1978319.PMID 17824495

Hirshkowitz, Max (2004). "10, Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Sleep and Sleep Disorders (pp. 315–340)". In Stuart C. Yudofsky and Robert E. Hales. Essentials of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences (4 ed.). Arlington, Virginia, USA: American Psychiatric Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58562-005-0. Retrieved 2009-12-06. ...insomnia is a symptom. It is neither a disease nor a specific condition. (p. 322)

Zahn, Dorothy (2003). "Insomnia: CPJRPC". The Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal.

Wilson, Jennifer F. (2008). "Insomnia". Annals of Internal Medicine 148: ITC1.doi:10.7326/0003-4819-148-1-200801010-01001


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Don't forget to follow me on instagram if you'd like!

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

All work is copyright 2015 Boz Schurr. Please do not use without my permission. Mahalo!

"On The Spectrum (Self Portrait)"

Aloha Friends,

I have been going through my old hard drives today, trying to get myself organized before I head off this summer. Since I have been madly using my few days off to update my online avenues clean my house, etc, etc, I realized that I had never gotten around to posting this drawing! I spent so long working on it that when it was finished I just threw it up on my website and then quickly forgot about it! However, after spending a little reflecting on this piece I think it is actually quite pivotal to the art I am working on now, specifically the On the Spectrum series.

Before I started my 26 part print series I had drawn this picture and had originally titled it simply "On the Spectrum." Although all my work has always been very personal I think using my self portrait and literally putting myself on the spectrum of mental health/illness allowed me to become more invested in my research. I am no longer talking about the otherness of mental health, but am right up in there with it. This is the last portrait I've done in a while and hopefully putting it here may lead me back to portraiture, we'll just have to see. Mahalo for looking!



"On the Spectrum (Self Portrait)"
2015
Pencil on Paper
18" x 12"

Details:

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Please feel free to follow me on Flickr if you'd like 

(That's where I put my Drawing a Day series)

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

All work is copyright 2015 Boz Schurr. Please do not use without my permission. Mahalo!

"On the Spectrum (Grandiose Delusions)"

Aloha Friends,

I took a little unexpected hiatus these past few weeks in order to finish up a mural and get all my grading done! But thankfully summer is in full swing and I am back to my printmaking series On The Spectrum.  I have finished up the letter "G" and am hoping to get back into the studio a few more times before I start traveling for the summer. My goal is to finish this series by 2016! I've still got to find ideas for the letters Q, U, V, X, Y, Z so if you've got suggestions, or better yet a story, please message me or write a comment!

Thanks for looking!

***

On the Spectrum is a 26 part print series, one for each letter of the alphabet, that explores interactions of mental illnesses, developmental disorders and perceived normalcy as abstract landscapes. Please read my artist statement for more details.

***

Artist Statement: There is a strange disconnect between mental illness and normalcy – as if there is a stark dividing line between the two: Black and white, us and them, completely separate. I believe this arbitrary classification, ill, healthy, recovering... is very similar to how we catalog our colors: blue, red, green... The visible color spectrum reflects the human experience. An experience where colors cannot be contained as single, definable points. The spectrum is one band of ever shifting, transitioning hues, as are we – our lives and our experiences are continuous and overlapping, yet discreet.

We all exist in a world with other people. We interact daily with a wide range of personalities. It is not possible to limit your experience to “normal.” We are but one piece in the cosmos. No one exists in a vacuum. So instead of pushing past others whose mental or physical health might not reflect exactly our own, we must embrace.

We are made of many parts: our personalities, our bodies, and our world.

***

On The Spectrum (Grandiose Delusions)

2015

Screen Print on Paper

15" x 11" 

$100 (unframed)

Details:

***

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Characteristics:

Grandiose delusions or delusions of grandeur are principally a subtype of delusional disorder that occurs in patients suffering from a wide range of mental illnesses, including two-thirds of patients in manic state of bipolar disorder, half of those with schizophrenia and a substantial portion of those with substance abuse disorders. GDs are characterized by fantastical beliefs that one is famous,omnipotent, wealthy, or otherwise very powerful. The delusions are generally fantastic and typically have a supernatural, science-fictional, or religious theme.

Research suggests that the severity of the delusions of grandeur is directly related to a higher self-esteem in individuals and inversely related to any individual’s severity of depression and negative self-evaluations.

Expansive delusions may be maintained by auditory hallucinations, which advise the patient that they are significant, or confabulations, when, for example, the patient gives a thorough description of their coronation or marriage to the king. Grandiose and expansive delusions may also be part of fantastic hallucinosis in which all forms of hallucinations occur.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) American Psychiatric Association (2000)

Knowles, R.; McCarthy-Jones S.; Rowse G. (2011). "Grandiose delusions: A review and theoretical integration of cognitive and affective perspectives". Clinical Psychology Review 31 (4): 684–696. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.02.009. PMID 21482326.

Smith, N. et al. (2006). "Emotion and psychosis: Links between depression, self-esteem, negative schematic beliefs and delusions and hallucinations". Schizophrenia Research 86(1): 181–188. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2006.06.018. PMID 16857346.

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Don't forget to follow me on instagram if you'd like!

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

All work is copyright 2015 Boz Schurr. Please do not use without my permission. Mahalo!

"On the Spectrum (Fregoli Delusion)"

Aloha Friends!

I have been busy in the studio this week! After traveling it's always a bit challenging to get back into the swing of things. I am really missing Japan, but I am happy to be back teaching and sleeping in my own bed. I do miss all the marvelous sake though... Thankfully I have my pictures and some beautiful memories to reflect on.

Anyway, this print marks the 6th print in my ongoing screen print series. Whew! Only 20 more prints to go! It seems like this series is taking forever and at the same time is moving very quickly. Hopefully once I hit 10 or 12 prints I'll get them all out for a group shot. Thanks for looking! And remember this series is all about perception and personal narratives, so if you have a personal story please don't hesitate to email me or leave a comment. I always want to hear from you.

***

On the Spectrum is a 26 part print series, one for each letter of the alphabet, that explores interactions of mental illnesses, developmental disorders and perceived normalcy as abstract landscapes. Please read my artist statement for more details.

***

Artist Statement: There is a strange disconnect between mental illness and normalcy – as if there is a stark dividing line between the two: Black and white, us and them, completely separate. I believe this arbitrary classification, ill, healthy, recovering... is very similar to how we catalog our colors: blue, red, green... The visible color spectrum reflects the human experience. An experience where colors cannot be contained as single, definable points. The spectrum is one band of ever shifting, transitioning hues, as are we – our lives and our experiences are continuous and overlapping, yet discreet.

We all exist in a world with other people. We interact daily with a wide range of personalities. It is not possible to limit your experience to “normal.” We are but one piece in the cosmos. No one exists in a vacuum. So instead of pushing past others whose mental or physical health might not reflect exactly our own, we must embrace.

We are made of many parts: our personalities, our bodies, and our world.

***

On The Spectrum (Fregoli Delusion)

2015

Screen Print on Paper

15" x 11" 

$100 (unframed)

Details:

Characteristics:

The Fregoli delusion, or the delusion of doubles, is a rare disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise. The syndrome may be related to a brain lesion and is often of a paranoid nature, with the delusional person believing themselves persecuted by the person they believe is in disguise.

A person with the Fregoli delusion can also inaccurately replicate places, objects, and events. This disorder can be explained by "associative nodes." The associative nodes serve as a biological link of information about other people with a particular familiar face (to the patient). This means that for any face that is similar to a recognizable face to the patient, the patient will recall that face as the person they know.

Tibbetts, Paul. " Symbolic Interaction Theory and the Cognitively Disabled: A neglected Dimension." Jstor. Winter 2004. Web. 28 September 2011 Symbolic Interaction Theory and the Cognitively Disabled: A Neglected Dimension

Mojtabai R (September 1994). "Fregoli syndrome". Aust N Z J Psychiatry 28 (3): 458–62. doi:10.3109/00048679409075874. PMID 7893241

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Don't forget to follow me on instagram if you'd like!

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

All work is copyright 2015 Boz Schurr. Please do not use without my permission. Mahalo!

"On the Spectrum (Dissociative Identity Disorder)"

Aloha Friends!

After spending a magical week in Japan (blog post to follow) I am back teaching and preparing myself for another day in the studio this upcoming weekend. Until then I am going to continue to write and post about this print series in an effort to catch to where I actually am (my posts are a few weeks past due, whoops!) After such a dark, heavy print as was Cotard Delusion, this new print is much lighter but no less chaotic. The hand drawn lines are meant to be an artist's interpretation of a mental illness, personality disorder, etc as an abstract landscape. Each individual's experience with mental heath is unique and the goal of this work is bring attention to these unique experiences as right or wrong but to be viewed through a lens of acceptance.

As you may have noticed I am trying to stick to very specific colors for this series. The first print and letter of the alphabet, Asperger's Syndrome, started with the color red. I used this color because it is the first color in ROYGBIV also known as the visible light spectrum. If you read my artist's statement the use of the colors becomes clear. The second print, Bipolar Disorder, used a lighter, slightly more orange red and the third print, Cotard Delusion, becomes even more orange still. The color shift will continue so on and so forth till I reach the 26th print, letter Z, which will end in a lovely violet. Thank you for reading! I will update you on art, travel and teaching again soon! Thanks for reading!

***

On the Spectrum is a 26 part print series, one for each letter of the alphabet, that explores interactions of mental illnesses, developmental disorders and perceived normalcy as abstract landscapes. Please read my artist Statement for more details.

***

Artist Statement: There is a strange disconnect between mental illness and normalcy – as if there is a stark dividing line between the two: Black and white, us and them, completely separate. I believe this arbitrary classification, ill, healthy, recovering... is very similar to how we catalog our colors: blue, red, green... The visible color spectrum reflects the human experience. An experience where colors cannot be contained as single, definable points. The spectrum is one band of ever shifting, transitioning hues, as are we – our lives and our experiences are continuous and overlapping, yet discreet.

We all exist in a world with other people. We interact daily with a wide range of personalities. It is not possible to limit your experience to “normal.” We are but one piece in the cosmos. No one exists in a vacuum. So instead of pushing past others whose mental or physical health might not reflect exactly our own, we must embrace.

We are made of many parts: our personalities, our bodies, and our world.

***

On The Spectrum (Dissociative Identity Disorder)

2015

Screen Print on Paper

15" x 11" 

$100 (unframed)

Details:

Characteristics:

Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder (MPD), is a mental disorder on the dissociative spectrum characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring identities or dissociated personality states that alternately control a person's behavior, and is accompanied by memory impairment for important information not explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

Dissociation, the term that underlies the dissociative disorders including DID, lacks a precise, empirical and generally agreed upon definition.[7][16][17] A large number of diverse experiences have been termed dissociative, ranging from normal failures in attention to the breakdowns in memory processes characterized by the dissociative disorders. Thus it is unknown if there is a common root underlying all dissociative experiences, or if the range of mild to severe symptoms are a result of different etiologies and biological structures

"The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders". World Health Organization.

Lynn, SJ; Berg J; Lilienfeld SO; Merckelbach H; Giesbrecht T; Accardi M; Cleere C (2012). "14 - Dissociative disorders". In Hersen M; Beidel DC. Adult Psychopathology and Diagnosis. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 497–538. ISBN 1-118-13882-1.

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Details of the print are also available on society6:

Don't forget to follow me on instagram if you'd like!

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

All work is copyright 2015 Boz Schurr. Please do not use without my permission. Mahalo!