Melissa Carroll is a painter in Brooklyn. Previously working predominantly with oil, she switched to watercolor after being diagnosed with cancer.
"I started using watercolors because I could paint in bed and they had no toxic odor to make me nauseas. At first I painted weird little images from my heavily drugged brain, avoiding thinking about cancer and death as much as I could. I was using painting as more of an escape at the beginning. I have always been a portrait painter and knew I would sooner or later have to paint a bald self portrait. I had to. Thats how this series started. From then on I became more passionate on telling this story especially after my cancer spread to my lungs in January. Since then I understood what the word "terminal" meant a lot more. Feelings and thoughts that I had pushed away because I innocently thought I would be "cured," now had to be dealt with and I took to my watercolors. Cancer has unfortunately consumed my life and I needed to address this with my work. I can't explain how scary and alone cancer is but hope my paintings do. I'm not trying to sugar coat anything with these pieces. They are not happy paintings, but they are real, and I believe other cancer patients can relate to them."
Beautiful and haunting, Melissa's latest work, a series of self portraits, bring a personal and deep glimpse into the life of a cancer patient, while also being incredible works of art in their own right.
On august 22nd, 15 of Melissa's self portraits as well as three additional paintings of fellow cancer patients will be on display at Andrea Rosen Gallery (544 W24th ST, NY) from 6 to 9pm. More info at the artist's website: http://www.paintingcancer.com/
("Limbo," 2012, copyright Melissa Carroll)
"I started using watercolors because I could paint in bed and they had no toxic odor to make me nauseas. At first I painted weird little images from my heavily drugged brain, avoiding thinking about cancer and death as much as I could. I was using painting as more of an escape at the beginning. I have always been a portrait painter and knew I would sooner or later have to paint a bald self portrait. I had to. Thats how this series started. From then on I became more passionate on telling this story especially after my cancer spread to my lungs in January. Since then I understood what the word "terminal" meant a lot more. Feelings and thoughts that I had pushed away because I innocently thought I would be "cured," now had to be dealt with and I took to my watercolors. Cancer has unfortunately consumed my life and I needed to address this with my work. I can't explain how scary and alone cancer is but hope my paintings do. I'm not trying to sugar coat anything with these pieces. They are not happy paintings, but they are real, and I believe other cancer patients can relate to them."
Beautiful and haunting, Melissa's latest work, a series of self portraits, bring a personal and deep glimpse into the life of a cancer patient, while also being incredible works of art in their own right.
("Friday Night," 2013, copyright Melissa Carroll)
On august 22nd, 15 of Melissa's self portraits as well as three additional paintings of fellow cancer patients will be on display at Andrea Rosen Gallery (544 W24th ST, NY) from 6 to 9pm. More info at the artist's website: http://www.paintingcancer.com/
