Wishes
Sixteen years ago, as a result of a fall, my husband became paraplegic and I became a carer, roles that neither of us would have wished for. Everything that was our life changed and along with it our priorities and values. Despite my husband’s positivity and enthusiasm for life I have always felt a sadness and sense of loss for the able-bodied lives which we left behind. Watching him struggle to achieve tasks which used to be easy and every day I can admire his spirit while secretly wishing things were different.
Living busy, able-bodied lives, it had been easy for me to wish that my husband and I could spend more time together. Then one day my husband went to work and came home four months later, as a disabled man. Suddenly we spent all day, every day together. My wish had come true.
Living busy, able-bodied lives, it had been easy for me to wish that my husband and I could spend more time together. Then one day my husband went to work and came home four months later, as a disabled man. Suddenly we spent all day, every day together. My wish had come true.
In this triptych, titled T8 & T12, I am portraying the piecing together, physically and emotionally which happened as we built a new life which prominently featured a wheelchair.
My husband’s spine, thanks to amazing surgery, has been stabilized but will never be fixed or whole again. With these emotive wishbones I am attempting to convey how I feel about the fallible, imperfect repairs. My restorations will never reverse the wish or the devastating destruction and although some will only ever see damage I can now see a new beauty and preciousness in the reconstruction.
My husband’s spine, thanks to amazing surgery, has been stabilized but will never be fixed or whole again. With these emotive wishbones I am attempting to convey how I feel about the fallible, imperfect repairs. My restorations will never reverse the wish or the devastating destruction and although some will only ever see damage I can now see a new beauty and preciousness in the reconstruction.
Wishbones, Ann Kelson
This work is on-going and will form the last project in my Drawing and Applied Arts Degree. I have recently completed a participatory event which involved asking viewers to break a wish bone and record their wish. I have collected the bones and wishes and I hope these elements will inform the next stage of my project.
