Juliana Rios

          ADD, Just Another Part of Me...

I decided to create a visual personal narrative for my exhibition that shares parts of my journey coping with ADD, the side effects of medication and all the personal struggles that a person my age with this disorder can experience. I have been battling with my relationship with ADD medication, from needing them, not wanting to use them, feeling how they help me, to suffering side effects, for a few years. On some occasions I genuinely believe I need medication in order to function, other times I become negatively consumed by my diagnosis and during other instances I am at peace with having ADD. This internal battle led me to wanting to explore this subject through an artistic point of view. The artworks I have selected invite spectators  to observe through my exhibition how I accept my journey, the side effects, how I accept that medication can help me, how I recognize it’s in my DNA, how I understand that sometimes I need it, and that I am not alone.  

Influenced by the Pop Art style I used bright colors, big scale, and bold composition to create a strong visual impact on the viewer to capture their attention and invite them to reflect on the subject. The entire exhibition can be seen as a satire. The ironic use of “happy” colors misleads the spectator into thinking that what they are observing is not as meaningful as it really is. I utilize the irony and humor of Pop art despite the seriousness of my psychoanalysis. The first piece, #focalin@breakfast, inspired by Eduardo Cabrer and Andy Warhol emphasizes an “everyday” object that makes the difference for a lot of people.The second artwork: “Take one daily”, was inspired by Beverly Fishman. The cushions in pill form are a metaphor of the similarities between medication and cushions. Both help us feel comfortable. The piece: “Waiting for your attention…” is a representation of all the prescribed medication i’ve tried. The following piece is  titled: “My Little Helper”  because my pills are not magical. They are an aid to get things done. Next, the  triptych titled:  “Side Effects” which demonstrates the robust migraines I experience daily, my volatile mood swings, and finally my battle with depression. In order to live at peace with this part of myself I decided to educate myself on everything related to ADD. One of the things I learned is that ADD is genetic and I inherited it from my mother. Inspired by Jean Shin: “ADD is in my DNA…” is representative of  accepting my inheritance of ADD, the knowledge I have gained since my diagnosis and how from my own home I have made the realization that ADD affects “ADDers” as well as the people around us. The final piece of my exhibition is meant to help “ADDers” understand that they are not alone and that we all struggle together. The title of the collage is “We Need Pills, Give us the Pills!” because it is also representative of my journey with ADD and accepting that pills do not define me even though I recognize that they help me. 

The arrangement of my artworks helps connect the pieces. Since they all share elements and narrate part of the story, each one complements the narrative as a whole, which helps the audience link the exhibition and visualize the journey of being diagnosed with ADD which often leads to ridicule and being stigmatized for what many suffer but few understand.  I hope to promote discussions related to ADD and how it can affect the people who have it and the people that surround us. I hope to inspire others like me to learn more about this disorder so they can better understand the intricacies of their diagnosis and explore different medications and treatments to find the best one for them.