These photos and the installation Living Through Cancer were conceived and created when filmmaker Katherine Knight and I agreed to make a film, Still Max, about my diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer.

Link to film, Still Max : https://vimeo.com/534162184

Password: sitemedia

In developing the script for Still Max Katherine felt we needed to provide a description of cancer and I felt we needed to illustrate what treatments were available to me. At the time I had been working with the decommissioned animatronic figures from the Wilderness Adventure Ride at Ontario Place. We, that is the figures and I, were in dialogue and it only felt natural to tap into their knowledge and expertise to describe cancer and potential treatments. The “Diagnostic and Treatment” series of photographs documents how the individual figures approach the diagnosis, researching cancer and various treatments. The making of these photos and the narrative laid the foundation for a second series of photos “The Tumour” and the installation “Living Through Cancer”.

On receiving a cancer diagnosis, you are overwhelmed.  Many individuals hide their diagnosis, keeping it to themselves, the diagnosis becomes an ‘elephant in the room’. Working from there I thought why not ‘the tumour in the room’. Something which you chose to hide but as the disease progresses it grows in size to the point you can not hide or conceal it. The tumour grows physically in the studio layer by layer until it fills the room or takes over your body. What are the various layers?  I try containing my cancer with plastic debris, paper, clothing, flowers and more.

Starting with a 3d model of my prostate I seek to hide and contain my cancer but at each turn the tumour foils me and grows, no matter what I do or try, not only is the tumour growing physically it is expanding psychologically. As I applied layer on layer a photograph was made. This became the second part of the film. We see the tumour grow, filling the room. The finale of the film is my vain attempt to dissect the tumour, to cut it in half, to reach the core.

When the Stephen Bulger Gallery asked to exhibit the tumour and the accompanying photographs it became apparent that additional layers would develop. At Stephen’s exhibition which took place post covid we see the audience and participants donning gloves. The gloves were a preventive measure as the viewers had the opportunity to lower or raise the window blinds on which the photos documenting the various layers had been printed.  You might even consider this to be another layer. The lighting of the exhibition was quite fantasifull. The exhibition is lit by red, yellow and blue bulbs. The lighting gave parts of the room a circus -like feel.  While the wall lighting by combining the primary colours generated a white wall wash, the lighting for the room itself was a wash of colour.

The second group of photos printed on roll blinds focuses on the tumour, illustrating how cancer grows both physically and psychologically.

During the exhibition, attendants would break down the tumour.

First opening the cage, pulling down the rock veneer, then the clothing and so on. The intention here was to cut the tumour in two, to dissect this beast to reveal my prostate. Should this work be shown again these actions would be further developed to contribute to the narrative, perhaps this is yet another layer through the choreography and staging. 

List of Contents:

The Tumour

Wire cage, clothing, cloth, plastic, books, paper, tree branches, and many other things 

Installation dimensions:  height 9’ x 11’ x 11’

Storage dimensions: when collapsed for storage 

Tumour: height 9’ x 9’ x 9’

Disassembled cage height 8’ x 4’ x 3’

Diagnostic and Treatment Series 

Photographs

Dimensions: Variable sizes

Edition: 6

Collections: private collections

Tumour Photos

12 Photos mounted on roll blinds

Dimensions 1 blind height 82  x 50’ (Push)

                    2 blinds height 60 x 36  (Caged Rock

                    10 blinds height  46 x 36