SENIOR THESIS  STATEMENT

Shellie Ann Cruz

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My current project “Sanity” is a multi-media installation with a focus on printmaking. I have also included a watercolor, ceramic, and sculptural piece. What does it mean to stay sane during a global pandemic? How do we cope? Do you rise? Fall? Do you have unhealthy coping mechanisms?

Sanity is meant to take one on a voyage through my own process of staying sane while also struggling with depression and PTSD. There are 33 pieces that will; take the viewer on a journey of fearless exploration into the mind of an artist who suffers from what can sometimes be debilitating depression and PTSD.

The highs and lows of the inner world are expressed in contrasting elements. Divided between the “good” and “bad” days. This takes one referentially “from the rainbows and sunshine to the rabbit hole and darkness that all exist within”. Each piece tells a story but together they cohesively act.

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Depression and PTSD are common and debilitating illnesses. They are treatable, but many persons with depression and PTSD do not receive even minimally adequate treatment. By tackling such a taboo topic as mental health it is my hope that I can help others come out of the shadows and shame of having depression and into the light. Let us talk, because together we can help each other stay sane.

The process of printmaking is a metaphor for life. I love how tedious it can be. When you carve for hours on end your fingers hurt, they callous, you inevitably get cut. You sometimes slip up and carve an area you did not mean to. In the end when you map it out, carve the right valleys and turns you can end up with something beautiful. There is peace there. I call it Sanity.

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If you are suffering or know someone else who is please see my resources page for guidance.