"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!

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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.

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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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Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

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

The Light Inside the Bell Jar - show in Savannah, GA!

Aloha Friends!

I have been selected to have some work featured in an upcoming show! When I first saw this show on the Collage Art Association website it really jumped out at me as something I had to apply for. As some of you know the majority of my artwork addresses how the western culture (my POV) views and categorizes mental health and mental illness. I believe there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings that surround mental health and it can effect our interactions and relationships in sometimes adverse ways. Below is the show's call to artists which really spoke to me and I feel relates directly to the ongoing themes in my art practice.
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The Light Inside The Bell Jar is a female-identified group juried show exploring themes of mental illness in women. It will be held at Sulfur Studios, located at 2301 Bull Street in Savannah, Georgia, May 7th through May 10th. This exhibition is being undertaken as a challenge to the clichés of “hysterical women,” showcase strong female-identified artists, and create further awareness of mental illnesses.

This show is being curated as part of Savannah College of Art and Design Master of Arts candidate Sara Uhlig's Arts Administration graduate thesis project.

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"Aurora"

Dimensions Variable

Acrylic, Ink, Graphite and Mixed Media on Paper

2015

Installed:

Final Piece:

Details:

Gallery Space:

"In ancient Roman mythology, Aurora is the goddess of the dawn, renewing herself every morning to fly across the sky, announcing the arrival of the sun. She meets death everyday at the hands of the night, only to be reborn. She is resilient but she is also generous, spreading her light over everyone she meets, day after day after day."

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

You can also follow the exhibition blog HERE!

Also check out this cool write up about the show in Connect Savannah!

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

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

"On the Spectrum (Cotard Delusion)"

Aloha Friends,

This print is the third in my ongoing On The Spectrum series. This print was featured in the 87th annual Honolulu Printmakers Juried Exhibition! I also won an award for excellence! Plus the print sold! CheeHoo!!! It was a lovely evening and I am very grateful for getting the chance to show some work again. The show is up till March 20th and was curated by the amazing Chicago-based screenprinting duo Sonnenzimmer! Don't miss it!

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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.

***

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 (Cotard Delusion)

2015

Screen Print on Paper

15" x 11" 

$100 (unframed)

Details:

Characteristics

The Cotard Delusion (also Cotard's Syndrome and Walking Corpse Syndrome) is a rare mental illness, in which the afflicted person holds the delusion that he or she is dead, either figuratively or literally.

The delusion of negation is the central symptom in Cotard's syndrome. The patient afflicted with this mental illness usually denies their existence, or the existence of a certain body part, or the existence of a portion of their body. Cotard's syndrome is in three stages: (i) Germination stage—the symptoms of psychotic depression and of hypochondria appear; (ii) Blooming stage—the full development of the syndrome and the delusions of negation; and (iii) Chronic stage—continued, severe delusions and chronic psychiatric depression.

Berrios G.E. and Luque R. (1995) Cotard's delusion or syndrome?. Comprehensive Psychiatry 36: 218–223

Yarnada, K.; Katsuragi, S.; Fujii, I. (13 November 2007). "A Case Study of Cotard's syndrome: Stages and Diagnosis". Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 100 (5): 396–398. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1999.tb10884

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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!

"The Prison in the Prism"

Aloha Friends!

I've been working hard to get myself back into the groove of making fine art. I recently finished this drawing/portrait and am hoping to do a few more like it (but different). If you want to know more about the concept please read my artist statement below! Mahalo!

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.

Feedback is always welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read my artist statement!

The Prison in the Prism

2014

Pencil on Paper

24" x 14"

$300

Don't forget to follow me on instagram if you'd like! http://instagram.com/bozschurr

p.s. can't afford an original? Check out my prints and other affordable products available on Society6! Click on any of the pictures below to go there!

Mahalo for looking!

Boz Schurr

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