A.J. SPRINGER

After receiving the diagnosis of multiple mental health conditions, I began seeking intensive therapy to learn how to cope and function through their symptoms. As I progressed in my treatment, I began utilizing another aspect of my life that had always served as a vital crutch for my mental survival; my art. What started as a self-portrait project where I explored these emotional complexities evolved to incorporate diverse sources and perspectives of those also diagnosed with mental illnesses by joining my local mental health community through group therapy and workshops. By having people pose for drawings and share their experiences my work and practice became much more conceptually focused on reflecting the participant and the viewers' feelings. Pulling from psychology, I am attempting to create an experience akin to a Rorschach inkblot test. The viewer is pushed into a reflective dialogue that forces self-awareness, a take on the Jungian confrontation with their "shadow." The interaction of figures serves as a symbol of the struggle we all experience with others and within ourselves.

​