Side Effects May Include Art

The Situation Room
June 14–20, 2015
Los Angeles

From The Situation Room announcement:

Artists of all fields have confronted illness through art. By shining a light into a dark place of human existence, they open the door to a portal of formidable creative potential. This exhibition showcased the work by this group of artists each coping with their own illness. These artists elected to channel their personal misfortune into a creative outlet.

Beginning as a series of informal meetings, this group quickly realized the dire need for discussion and community among artists who are not only battling illnesses, but also investigating that experience of illness and health in a creative way. We strove to open the discussion on illness with art that is dark, humorous, and unflinchingly real for a conversation of sincerity and authenticity.

Hubby’s collages used soft comfortable furniture and pillows as the messengers of advice to people who are sick. She took actual advice that had been given to each of the members of this group of artists, most of whom were suffering chronic disease, and cartooned the delivery into text bubbles coming from the furniture itself producing a humorous and comforting environment. The point of the works was to isolate the advice and ponder the preposterousness of people giving such advice in the first place. Far too often when you are ill, you become the depository of unsolicited, though well meaning, advice. That is not to say that there isn’t any wisdom in the advice, but often it has not been asked for. The works are part of the ongoing RELAX: #pillowstellingmetodothings series.

Side Effects May Include Art featured the work of Siobhan Hebron, Bettina Hubby, Daniel Leighton, Ted Meyer, Lauren Potts, Dominic Quagliozzi, Sarah (SK) Riley, Sydney Snyder.