A First Friday art show exhibits the combination of folklore animals with the harsh realities of endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a disorder in which the lining that grows inside the uterus spreads to the outside and throughout the body. The disease attacks the body similar to an autoimmune disease and grows and spreads like a cancer.
However, it has not been classified or categorized as cancer or autoimmune disease. Endometriosis awareness is minimal and research on treatments and symptoms is underfunded.
Amanda Adkins was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2000 but wasn’t open about her disease until it took a dangerous turn two years ago.
“I was on the brink of getting a hysterectomy,” Adkins said. “I was very emotional about it and the way I was looking at it. As therapy for me, I just started painting about it and I didn’t realize that it would turn into a series of work.”
In paintings and installations throughout the exhibit, Adkins used folk-style flowers and animals to depict certain feelings and attitudes in her works. The different animals represent different people and the plants shown in each of her paintings serve as outside symbols relating to the disease.
“I felt that (style) represented me well and hopefully the viewer would understand it and eventually feel a bit uneasy,” Adkins said. “The hummingbirds represent doctors, butterflies represent nurses and the crow represents me and also represents the disease.”
One of Adkins’ favorite paintings is inspired by a photograph of herself when she was in the hospital. It depicts crows surrounding a blonde haired woman with an open wound on her right abdomen and a tube carrying blood, emptying the wound.
Another of her notable pieces illustrates a young girl sitting on a rock across from a crow, with a devils’ claw-like figure resting on her head. Throughout her exhibit, she symbolizes plants and animals across her work and repeats their use in each of her paintings and installations.
“The claw (is) a representation of the seed because the claws open up and it’s also a representation of the uterus,” said Adkins. “(My paintings are) something that could be interpreted as fantasy, but it’s my reality.”
Adkins show, Crowspeak, was on display at Arthaus for First Friday to exhibit her work as well as raise awareness.
Michelle Dawn came to Crowspeak to bring some awareness of her own. She was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 22 but has had the disease since she was 15.
At a table near the entrance, Dawn sold copies of her storybook ‘Endometriosis’, a fantasy style story that explains the disease and how it can spread throughout the body.
“I just want (people) to understand how the disease works so that hopefully we’ll (see) more funding and more research,” Dawn said. “I thought making it cutsie and in a storybook form would make it successful and that (endometriosis) is something we should all know about.”
Along with the bookselling, Adkins sister, Brandi, performed a dance routine to the song Higher Ground by ODESZA with a few strands of red string.
“All (Amanda) wanted (in this dance) was the red yarn to be in it,” Brandi said. “She didn’t want it to have a negative connotation to it. That inner fight and ripping it all out and not letting it control you is basically what she’s trying to interpret.”
Adkins and her exhibit have attracted national attention from organizations like The Endometriosis Foundation. She is also donating 10% of proceeds she earns from selling her works to The Endometriosis Foundation.
“People misdiagnose (endometriosis) all the time so I just hope (my exhibit) raises some awareness,” Adkins said about her work. “(We need) to be aware that this disease exists. One in ten women have it and not a lot of people know about it and (I) just want them to take away the awareness that this is happening to people.”
Adkins will display her exhibit again on September 21 at Arthaus. Along with the exhibit, there will be an artist conversation and a film showing about endometriosis.
For questions, contact the reporter at smedwar7@asu.edu.
Sara Edwards was the executive editor of Downtown Devil. She is a graduate student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Sara has additional bylines in Phoenix New Times, West Valley View, L.A. Downtown News and Boardwalk Times.
Sara is also the co-secretary for the Multicultural Student Journalists Coalition.
