Skip to main content

Pain Exposed is Pain Shared: Two contemporary artists display their hearts

Isabella Thurecht
Write About Art 4
The following is a brief preview - the full content of this page is available to premium users only.
Click here to subscribe...

As pain is a subjective and highly individual experience, its expression within contemporary art has diverse manifestations. Whether the pain is physical, psychological or emotional, the vast repertoire of expression is limitless, and no two responses are ever the same. The impetus behind addressing pain varies accordingly: some artists research the source of the pain, while others express its intensity, the effect it has on other people, or the possibility of its resolution. Consequently, the subjective expression of pain within 21st century art practice presents the viewer with multiple challenges when trying to understand it. Two contrasting ways in which contemporary artists deal with pain or painful states of mind are effectively illustrated by artists George Poonkhin Khut and Scott McCarney. While each artist uses different artistic media to communicate their ideas, both provide a direct response to the experience of pain, and in doing so, encourage the viewer to share and reflect on their experiences.
Working at the forefront of 21st century technology, Australian artist George Poonkhin Khut uses computer software that generates biofeedback for his interactive artwork Distillery: Waveforming. The artwork, which acts as a relaxation system, was initially designed for children experiencing pain during medical treatment.(Arts and Health Foundation, 2010). The work, which won Khut the 2012 National New Media Art Award (Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane), monitors the heart rate of the patients and controls it through pulsating imagery and calming music. By doing this, the artwork manages emotional and mental stress-related pain (QAGOMA, 2012). While Khut provides a clinical and medical approach to pain, the approach of New York based artist Scott McCarney is more subjective, because it deals with his own personal relationship with... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline

Scott McCarney, Memory Loss, 1998. Published by Visual Studies Workshop Press. Printed offset in four colours on Mohawk Superfine. Accordion bound with cord by the artist in hand embossed board covers. Edition of 500.

Scott McCarney, Memory Loss, 1998. Published by Visual Studies Workshop Press. Printed offset in four colours on Mohawk Superfine. Accordion bound with cord by the artist in hand embossed board covers. Edition of 500.

Scott McCarney, Memory Loss, 1998. Published by Visual Studies Workshop Press. Printed offset in four colours on Mohawk Superfine. Accordion bound with cord by the artist in hand embossed board covers. Edition of 500.

Scott McCarney, Memory Loss, 1998. Published by Visual Studies Workshop Press. Printed offset in four colours on Mohawk Superfine. Accordion bound with cord by the artist in hand embossed board covers. Edition of 500.