Placebos and Panaceas

Abstract

This body of work, Placebos and Panaceas was created as an educational tool to expose the public to the kind of treatments that claim to help or cure everything from obesity to cancer. Rather than just get upset at the ways these companies swindle those with illnesses, I turned that passion into comedy to get others to really want to interact with my work, rather than see it as just another dour piece of art screaming into the void. I’ve found that it’s easier for someone to enjoy learning about something angering or depressing if you reframe the problem as comedic and ridiculous. The goal of the work isn’t to insult those who use the products and practices, it’s to point out the ridiculousness of the products themselves, exaggerating the intended effects or unintended harmful effects from each treatment.