THROUGH their 65 years of marriage, my Grandparents had always shared a profound connection that was an emulation of the phrase “Till death do us part.”

My body of work explores the ways this connection was affected as my Granny developed Dementia that gradually took hold of her mind, while my Grandad’s physical state rapidly declined due to Multiple Myeloma, affecting his overall vitality and contributed to his passing in 2019.

As a couple they became progressively estranged while their sentiment for each other never waivered.

The Dementia caused Grandad’s passing to be incomprehensible to Granny, and to this day she wanders the halls of their nursing home in search of her beloved husband.

The work displays a representation of themselves before and after disease stole their lives and their withering physical and mental states, with only a five year difference between the central couple portrait and the aged individuals on either side to show the rapidity at which their lives were transformed.

“Till death do us part” as a question asks us to consider the ways relationships are affected by circumstances beyond a couple’s control, and how the relationship’s essence is maintained in the hearts of each person even after loss.

Annelies BLEECHMORE,

HSC 2020 Visual Art Major Work
Coffs Harbour High School.

 

By Annelies BLEECHMORE