Pain Containment Pod No. 2: Left Foot

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Artist: Kimberley Harding

Title: Pain Containment Pod No. 2: Left Foot

Attribution: Pain Containment Pod #2: Left Foot (2020) by Kimberley Harding

Year: 2020

Materials: fiber splint, fiber rush, kinesiology tape, medical tape, hemp cord, artificial sinew, wire, fiber-reactive dye, acrylic paint, plastic arch support from orthotic, Icy Hot applicator, naproxen sodium, turmeric capsules, acetaminophen, acupuncture needles.

Dimensions: 11" h x 12" w x 15" d

Image Statement: Pain is one of the “invisible” disabilities. I’ve been living with persistent pain from an assortment of causes for most of my life. I am not alone. Most of us experience pain intermittently, some of us bear with it regularly and others survive it incessantly. We all witness it if we open our eyes. Whatever its source, whether physical, psychological, or metaphysical, pain is dangerous, debilitating, draining, depressing. Wouldn’t life be so much better if we could only grab onto pain, remove it from the place it is causing suffering and contain it safely away? That’s what the Pain Containment Pod series does for me. Pod #1 is a response to an injury-related exacerbation of arthritis in my right knee. I was so angered by a doctor’s statement that “It was only pain.” I made a plaster cast of my knee as a reference for creating the form. Along with traditional basketry materials, I have woven this piece with items I used to alleviate the pain. Coincidentally (or not?), I experienced a reduction in knee pain after completing this sculpture.