Emily Grant: Side Affects
In Side Affects, Centenary studio art senior Emily Grant emphasizes the huge impact medication has had on her life. Large pill sculptures compare the ways medication has made her feel, showing its benefits as well as its drawbacks. A wall of pills, pictured above, explores the relationship between coping mechanisms and shared fears. Finally, a mound of empty pill bottles shows the routine lengths people go through to feel “normal.”
What inspired Side Affects ?
I wanted to do a show focused on mental health. I have gone through many obstacles in my own journey with mental health and finding the right medications for myself. I wanted to share this with others in hopes that more people will talk about it and feel less alone.
Why did you decide to make the pills oversized? What do you think this choice adds to the installation?
I chose for the pills to be oversized to really emphasis their effect and be the center of attention. It’s something you don’t see every day, so it really grabs your attention as you process what you’re looking at.
What was the process of assembling and installing this exhibition like for you?
The assembly process was very time consuming because I had to layer enough gesso onto the giant pills to be able to start sanding and smoothing the surface. Creating the resin pills came with a learning curve when it came to putting objects inside and preventing them from floating to the top as they set as well as preventing bubbles from taking over the whole piece. Installing it was fairly easy and did not take much time. It was really nice to see all the pieces on display together and have that feeling of relief that it came out how I was hoping.
What were some challenges throughout the process of creating and putting up your exhibition?
I mostly had challenges with the oversized pills trying to make sure the surface was as smooth as possible. There are so many layers of gesso I had to sand down to get that smooth surface. It was very time consuming to say the least.
What new skills did you learn while creating your exhibition?
I learned a lot more technical skills when it came to working with new materials like foam and resin. I had never worked with either, so it was nice to explore how they work with other materials.
How do you hope others view Side Affects? What do you hope they leave with / remember as the main takeaways?
I hope others view Side Affects as a look into the lives of those who struggle with mental health and the journey in finding what works for them when it comes to medication. I hope it will shed more light on mental health and make it not such a stereotyped or taboo topic.
Side Affects is on display at the Meadows Museum from November 1 - December 3, 2022.