Art by John McDonald
"Tears of a Clown"- exhibition 2017
In 2011, John McDonald was a man whose star was indeed on the rise. By the middle of that year, John found his sanity and his career nearly destroyed.
After being diagnosed with depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he felt compelled to share his troubles and seek out help. Instead of finding support, he found himself ostracized; his diagnosis dismissed and his credibility questioned. John found himself once again fighting- trying to survive the torment of his diagnosis and the struggles of his situation. This collection was completed thanks to an Indigenous Pathways Initiative grant from the Saskatchewan Arts Board. The following is an excerpt from John’s final report on this project to the Saskatchewan Arts Board: “The goal of this project was to capture and express through a series of paintings, the causes, struggles and situations that I personally experienced after being diagnosed with Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I wanted to show my struggles in a less ostentatious manner than is usual in regards to the subject manner. Through this project, I was able to create a visual representation of my personal experiences, by means of creating the character of “Clown”- an anthropomorphic, bug-eyed figure eternally wrapped in a straightjacket. Through ten of the paintings, “Clown” literally wears many hats, each depicting different aspects of what I was dealing with. In the eleventh painting, I was able to show, through the image of an empty straightjacket, that the problem is still there, but at the moment no longer binding. This project was a huge leap of faith for me, as it required me to dig deep into my personal painful experiences and show them to the public. It has helped significantly in the healing process, and, hopefully, it will help others who might be dealing with similar issues get help.” Acrylic on Canvas, 37 inches by 24.5 inches |