Jean Nerenberg

Shared Memories
watercolor
18 x 24 in.

I am a 66 year old survivor of Breast Cancer. In my studio I have been exploring the repercussions of Breast Cancer on my own body and psyche, as well as shared experiences with other friends who are currently going through treatment. Working in watercolors allows me the freedom to experiment with the fluidity of the paints, akin to the fluidity of the life force itself, and pushes me toward abstraction.

As I work, many memories return, but by treating them artistically, I am able to better deal with the experience and find beauty in what, at the time, was overwhelmingly negative. I am drawn again and again to examine this subject matter: the blood, the pain, the medical instruments, my mental images of the medical treatments, the marvels of modern medicine and the hope and progress of recovery. Age: 66

© Jean Nerenberg