Connecting Narratives

Workshop output - heterogeneity filters

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[Image description; 4 colour pencil drawings of’ a red lump with white rocky inclusions labeled ‘14. Tonsilolith’, an olive green trilobed object with red string on it labeled ‘&. DIshwatery & tied up’, a brown irregular object with black hairs (reddish at base) and brown string labeled ‘11. mushy with sore hairs’, and an irregular object dark green at the top & bright pink at the bottom, labeled ‘ 15. Gangrenous, lumpy’.]

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The Ugly Objects Experiment

This experiment was part of my ‘Connecting Brain Tumour Narratives’ residency in the Portsmouth Brain Tumour Research Centre (PBTRC). This was one of many experiments the scientists there and I engaged in, and not all of them made it to exhibition. However, I recently found some artwork from this that I hadn’t yet shared, so I’m putting it out there… here. Click to read more… 

This is the giant, handmade Connecting Narratives book, which is now complete & digitised. The book was hand-bound by Beth Coin especially for this Leverhulme-funded collaborative sciart project. Each page has been illustrated by me with images representing the personal story of a brain tumour patient, family member, or a research scientist.. The aim of this project was to connect people with these stories. The book has been exhibited several times now, and many people have turned it’s pages. It now resides in the Portsmouth Brain Tumour Research Centre, where it will be used each moth at lab open days for patients/family/care staff.

Chapter 6: Stowaways

Page 2: Pirates

As well as disguising themselves, some cancer cells just plain hijack normal cell functions to their own ends. One of the scientists described this as ‘pirate-like’. They also mused about the habit of using military analogies, of things we fight against - war, pirates, subterfuge, etc - to describe cancer. Are these the best analogies to use, given cancer cells are ultimately our own bodies’ cells? Certainly many participants described any tumour as if it was a different person almost, separate from the patient it belonged to. I do not know if this is a good or bad thing. But it is a thing… that’s why I included the last line.

Chapter 6: Stowaways

Page 1: Hiding in plain sight

One of the scientists compared cancer cells to animals that change colour & texture (like octopods) to escape predators - cancer cells can change the molecules they express on their surface to disguise themselves from the immune system.

Chapter 5: The View

Page 4: Visual distortion

Speaking to one of the patient participants, they gave a description of the symptom that lead to their brain tumour being discovered - migraines with visual distortion. They described it as like looking through the bottom of a pint glass, which turned out to be a very simple method for communicating their story with sighted visitors to our public events on this project.

Chapter 5: The View

Page 3: Empty frames

If there was one recurring story from scientist’s on this project it was; “don’t show people brain tumour cells - because they’re beautiful, and we don’t want people to think brain tumours are beautiful.” This conflict between visual beauty at a cellular level, and the human-level devastation a brain tumour can cause to patients and their families was universally and keenly felt. It informs the art on Chapter 4 page 4, and Chapter 6 page 3, as well as this one.

This page was also the one exhibition visitors found most sinister. It really squicked people out, for want of a better description! 

Chapter 5: The View

Page 2: Cellular Astronomy

Here is how two of the scientists in the lab described the cellular material they work with!

Chapter 5: The View

Page 1: Every blade of grass

One of the patient participants shared how having a brain tumour made them re-evaluate what was important in life, and changed how they see the world. They were very positive and upbeat, regardless of their tumour. They described it as feeling like they saw ‘every leaf on a tree, every blade of grass in a field’. The only way to draw this was to take it literally, I felt. Every leaf, every blade of grass :)

Chapter 4: Found on the Journey

Page 12: Derek the Goldfish

This is from the a scientist participant - one of the only two people who were working in this lab when I did my MSc in Portsmouth 10 years ago. Their abiding memory of lab life is the perpetual presence of pet fish (which they help look after), and which entertain visitors and keep scientists company. 

I remember Derek from my brief stint as a student all those years ago! Therefore I have to agree… Derek and his successors are definitely a part of the group in the PBTRC :)

Chapter 4: Found on the Journey

Page 11: Leg Waxing

This is from the same participant as Chapter 2 page 1, who sadly lost their best friend to a brain tumour - they passed away during the course of this project. Simon had started cycling to raise money for Brain Tumour Research after his best friend was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain tumour. As part of his fundraising he had his legs waxed!