Lesley Silvia
by Vanessa Barros Andrade hys · te · ri · a həˈstirēə , həˈsterēə / noun in PSYCHIATRY a psychological disorder ( not now regarded as a single definite condition ) whose symptoms include conversion of psychological stress into physical symptoms ( somatization ), selective amnesia , shallow volatile emotions , and over dramatic or attention-seeking behavior . The term has a controversial history as it was formerly regarded as a disease specific to women .
This is one of the first definitions ( in reference to psychiatry ) of the word hysteria that comes up on one of the most popular search engines in the world . I ’ m interested in the highly accessed or accessible ways to acquire information and definitions — this helps me with understanding the consensus of a word from the general population . Accessibility keeps information from only being used by elitist groups or academics .
Lesley Silvia is an Orlando-based conceptual artist . She ’ s currently creating and focusing on visual representations of the word hysteria . She ’ s interested in challenging the word and maybe creating different ways to make mental health a more digestible topic . “ I am thinking of a range . From the advanced end are the illnesses we suffer from with no organic causes like fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome . These we have DSM codes and pharmaceutical prescriptions for . But I am also talking about that ‘ squishy ’ stuff that leads us to the boiling point where hysteria ‘ marks ’ the body in forms like anxiety , depression , and self-mutilation .” Silvia describes the differences between these ailments in her thesis defense . There is a stigma associated with mental health care ; it truly creates a sense of shame and guilt in people affected by it and who are already feeling a disconnect . Diseases like cancer are not seen as shameful because there is a tangible thing that is making the body sick , but with mental health these things are harder to see . There are negative connotations , like “ weakness ” and “ attention-seeking ,” that are attached to people who suffer from mental illnesses . Finding help becomes difficult with all of the stigma pervading mental health care .
Silvia uses animal forms in place of human forms to create a sense of ease . “ My work is about the ability to look at something that isn ’ t easy to look at . Something that ’ s inside of me , inside of you . Animals are a softer blow . I remember the first time I walked the psychology department ’ s beagle on campus during my undergrad . People came up to talk to me who never would have talked to me when I was alone . Animals are like alcohol in that they are a social lubricant . There ’ s a long history of using animals as surrogates for humans .” Animal forms hold different personified archetypes , from the wise owl to the sly fox . She not only focuses on the word hysteria but also its relation to the body . Creating work around stigmatized issues is difficult , art is generally seen as a thing of beauty . Images of conventionally beautiful bodies and landscapesflood the media .
Having majored in studio art and minored in philosophy at Rollins College , Silvia is interested in incorporating ideologies influenced or created by Michel Foucault , Simone de Beauvoir , and Susan Bordeaux . She graduated with an MFA in Visual Studies from Pacific University of Oregon . She started her practice with photography at Rollins , but that quickly evolved into a more multidisciplinary practice .
Silvia is getting ready for a group exhibition at the Gallery at Avalon Island which runs from December 15 to January 14 . She has created large-scale sculptures for the upcoming show . She has been focusing more on making three-dimensional works in her current studio practice . “ I try to have some kind of underlying thread to all of my work . So , even if it doesn ’ t aesthetically look the same , there ’ s some sort of thread that unifies it all .” She ’ s creating a subtle style for herself — something she hopes to convey throughout all of her work and all of the different types of materials she gets a hold of . Silvia currently works from her home studio . She describes her practice as essential to daily functioning . Like any bodily function , she has to expel it , exercise it , and feed it . It ’ s always refreshing for me ( as a curator ) to hear artists working in their studio whether or not they have a show coming up — it feels more authentic and true to the work itself . The ideas are always there , and it ’ s important for any artist ’ s practice to exercise them even if there is no audience or show .
Conceptual art gives the artist a chance to focus on the different ideologies they want to convey and less on the materials used and means of production , unless that is part of the concept , of course . Conceptual work gives the audience a chance to think about the art object ’ s place in history and / or current society . It becomes less representational ( of reality ) and there ’ s less focus on skill set . The less focus on perfecting a skill , the more accessible it is for anyone to create work and to convey ideas .
You can see more at : LesleySilvia . com
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