My project, titled A Depression Spiral Through History is an exploration of how people of the past dealt and understood depression through the context of my own mental health struggle. While the project began with history as a broad subject, the focus was quickly narrowed down to ancient Greece and Hippocrates’ Humoral Theory. The work culminates in a large Greek ovoid amphora depicting two scenes: one of a woman being left behind, and another of the same woman being assaulted with black bile by a vengeful goddess. The amphora is made from modrock and is presented half shattered on the marble stage, 97.5 cm x 97.5cm. Thick, viscous black bile oozes out from the neck and cracks of the amphora. A small text piece is delicately written on the bile, forcing the audience to bring themselves closer to the wreckage of this melancholic amphora. The artwork is situated in a corner, on the floor forcing the audience to look down on this pitiful mess. This piece represents the overflowing of black bile and how it, left untreated and hidden away, can destroy the body.
