Modern Medicine

 

June 4 - July 9 

Exhibition by Michelle Priddy

A year ago I went through a health scare which put me in and out of several doctor visits where I endured false diagnoses, several medical bills, and insensitive comments from doctors. It sadly opened my eyes to the reality that medical doctors do not always know everything, and what they say can strongly impact one's life forever. With my medical incident and experiences with doctors, along came anxiety. Not only was my physical health jeopardized, but as was my mental health. Finally, a year later, once I had healed both mentally and physically, I got to thinking about other people's experiences with doctors. Did others have similar experiences? Were there others that felt like a doctor gave them unhelpful, hurtful, or unprofessional feedback? These questions prompted me to reach out and see if others had similar feelings or experiences, which regrettably they did. Although it was beneficial to my research, It saddened me that others had once felt defeated by their experiences with doctors.

This series is a reflection and commentary on the current medical field as well as the doctors that fill it. I bring to light what others, as well as myself, had to go through involving doctors. This collection of work acts as both an exposure to the harsh realities of what patients sometimes have to endeavor, as well as a way for others to feel heard when it comes to bad doctor experiences. “Doctor Quotes” consists of 10 different panels, where each panel is filled with a quote positioned in the center. These texts are direct quotes from doctors that were gathered by myself, or others who shared their stories with me. All quotes can be described as unprofessional, sexist, hurtful, and condescending, such as “You have very kissable lips,” and “Does this have something to do with body image?” The piece shocks the viewer because the quotes come from a profession that is highly respected, but individuals of said profession have spoken words of disrespect. Another work in the series is “That'll be $2000.” This artwork is another text work where I compiled every single contradicting diagnosis when it came to my health scare on top of each other. The text is illegible and confusing, which represents how I felt during the time of diagnosis. I was not given correct feedback when it came to my health, but still had to pay for the confusing feedback that I did receive. This work brings light to the concept that even if the doctor does not know what is wrong with a patient, that patient still has to pay for the consultation. Overall, this series is not meant to completely attack every doctor in the world, but to highlight the unprofessional moments and flaws within modern medicine.