The Oncologist, Vol. 6, No. 5, 480,
October 2001
© 2001 AlphaMed Press
Strength from Unity
A selection of art by cancer patients and their loved ones.
Throughout the history of all cultures, wounds are healed, disease is cured, and peace is made when people come together for a common good. The pieces in this art exhibit are from people in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States whose lives have been touched by cancer. Through stunning artistic expression, they demonstrated the universal need to form a bond with our friends, families, physicians, and anyone fighting for a cure, when cancer hits home.
Whether you have cancer, love someone with cancer, or help people beat it or cope with it—you are touched by the disease. We are fortunate to get a glimpse of these feelings through these important and moving paintings.
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Bernard Fallon
Hope
Torrance, California, United States
Bernard Fallon's Hope depicts his wife Trudy's cancer diagnosis in 1995. The door radiates a portal of light. For Trudy, the door "exudes comfort, light, and strength." That light, she says, "kept me strong and connected to life through some of the bleakest days of my illness. I'm here. I'm living."
22'' x 26'' oil on board
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Maureen Muldoon
Ovarian
Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Maureen Muldoon's mother died of ovarian cancer 25 years ago. Now she is fighting the same disease that took her mother's life. This piece depicting the female torso with a vertical scar and a protective hand in front speaks of self-image. "The painting looks at how I felt a few weeks after my operation."
22'' x 27'' monotype
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Gary Robinson
Characteristics
Longford, County Longford, Republic of Ireland
Gary Robinson's aunt died of cancer in the late 1980s. His mother was deeply affected by the loss of her sister and was fearful that she too would develop the disease. Characteristics is Gary's portrayal of the bond between a mother and son, of the passing on of characteristics and genes, and of the relationships that develop between people when touched with serious illness. His painting highlights the similarities and differences that join people together in one way or another.
41'' x 54'' monotype
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Kate Lawton
Sunflowers
Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
For Kate Lawton, painting flowers has always been a form of meditation. Now, diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment for her illness, she has found an immense source of healing and strength through her love of painting. "Having cancer has made me appreciate color and natural forms in a much more interesting and intense way," she says.
22  '' x 27'' monotype
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Christine Vinh
Common Treads...Healing Hands and Hearts
Washington, D.C., U.S.
The Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the Alexandria Quilters in Virginia, started a collection of quilted squares in 1996 to celebrate cancer suvivorship. Cancer patients, cancer survivors, their families, and the nurses and doctors who treated them created Common Threads... Healing Hands and Hearts as a daily reminder of the healing qualities of creating something together.
37'' x 36'' quilt
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Susan Davis
Trees in Water
Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Trees in Water has a magical quality that flows throughout all of Susan Davis' work. Before her death in 1999, Susan illustrated numerous children's books and contributed work regularly to The New Yorker and the Washington Post. She painted Trees in the Water left-handed, a skill she developed after the malignant brain tumor that eventually caused her death paralyzed her right side. Susan felt that her left-handed work had "jewel-like colors and the landscapes [were] much more vigorous and resolute."
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