A message to our future doctors
Dot
Dot had endured the violation of brutal street crime on two counts – a random attack leaving her son blind in one eye and severely scarred and 30 years later, Dot was mugged and sustained life-threatening injuries.
Dot’s image depicts an unexpected explosion of fear and violence – which rips your life apart and you can never return to normal. She said you never think anything like this will happen to you. Dot wanted medical students to realize the devastating, ongoing impact of such incidents and injuries on family units. She also spoke of hurtful ‘throw-away’ remarks by health-workers in hospital, such as her son being referred to as ‘one-eyed Jack’ albeit in affectionate banter and the indignities suffered by a neighbouring patient with both legs amputated whose privacy was rarely taken into account during ongoing clinical visits.
Brooklea Creative Arts for Health
Brislington, Bristol
Brislington, Bristol
I have chosen the piece “A message to our future doctors” as at first, I found this piece difficult to understand. However, after reading the comment, I found that the piece reflected the confusion and uncertainty felt by Dot and the clustered nature of the damage left behind by her traumatic experience. The emotional trauma felt by Dot after the incident is not clear cut and cannot be categorised into a pre-existing societal context; the artwork reflects this in its use of the unconventional medium of crayon. The scattered use of geometric shapes and lines can reflect the attempt to try and find order in Dot’s emotions post-attack. Overall, this piece successfully achieves to intrigue and engage the viewer through its unconventional portrayal of trauma.