Last semester, during Interpersonal Communication Theory class, a student presenter asked us to raise our hand "if a family member, or close friend, had been diagnosed with, or died from, breast cancer." I was caught off guard. I guess I always thought of cancer statistically and symbolically: large numbers and pink ribbons. I guess I resisted thinking about the person for whom I raised my hand. Then, as nearly the entire class raised their hand and, one by one, shared their story, those safely distant stats changed into faces and stories. In this article, photographer David Jay similarly encourages a more visceral understanding of cancer with his exhibition "SCAR Project: Breast Cancer is Not a Pink Ribbon." The photographs are striking and Jay is insightful as he uses visual rhetoric as a means of generating the kind of discussion that can generate the systemic change needed to save lives.
Monday, April 2, 2012
A Photographer's Mission to Show That Breast Cancer is More Than Pink Ribbons
by guest blogger Courtney
Last semester, during Interpersonal Communication Theory class, a student presenter asked us to raise our hand "if a family member, or close friend, had been diagnosed with, or died from, breast cancer." I was caught off guard. I guess I always thought of cancer statistically and symbolically: large numbers and pink ribbons. I guess I resisted thinking about the person for whom I raised my hand. Then, as nearly the entire class raised their hand and, one by one, shared their story, those safely distant stats changed into faces and stories. In this article, photographer David Jay similarly encourages a more visceral understanding of cancer with his exhibition "SCAR Project: Breast Cancer is Not a Pink Ribbon." The photographs are striking and Jay is insightful as he uses visual rhetoric as a means of generating the kind of discussion that can generate the systemic change needed to save lives.
Last semester, during Interpersonal Communication Theory class, a student presenter asked us to raise our hand "if a family member, or close friend, had been diagnosed with, or died from, breast cancer." I was caught off guard. I guess I always thought of cancer statistically and symbolically: large numbers and pink ribbons. I guess I resisted thinking about the person for whom I raised my hand. Then, as nearly the entire class raised their hand and, one by one, shared their story, those safely distant stats changed into faces and stories. In this article, photographer David Jay similarly encourages a more visceral understanding of cancer with his exhibition "SCAR Project: Breast Cancer is Not a Pink Ribbon." The photographs are striking and Jay is insightful as he uses visual rhetoric as a means of generating the kind of discussion that can generate the systemic change needed to save lives.
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If I were in your class, I would have had to raise both hands. My family has been terribly affected by breast cancer. Seeing images of survivors bring the pink ribbon alive through these people's images, and remind everyone, that this is a real disease that is tragic, but also many people do survive this illness.
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