Assemblage of medicine bottles using metal rods, soldering, hot glue, and teamwork.

Paul Foster, Chrisetta Olson, Melissa Von Ruden

An idea. Three Veterans. Different perspectives.
Three Veterans came together to work on a collaborative project. They never met each other prior. They all approached the idea with different perspectives, a shared intention to communicate about their personal experiences with PTSD and the use of medication to treat symptoms. By the end of the project, these individuals built more than a sculpture; they built the foundation for trust and an understanding emerged.
Each Veteran involved in this project came together with ideas, motivation, and the desire to share experiences. One described how medication provided the ability to engage in treatment; another explained feeling that the concept of self-identity had been lost after a lifetime of medications; and the other identified the tendency to receive medications to treat symptoms rather than supporting the treatment of the whole person. This sculpture remains unidentified to encourage viewers to find their own way of connecting.
An important piece tying the sculpture together are the masks. Each mask represents each participants’ experience with PTSD. What they struggle with internally, what they show the world, and what stereotypes the world places upon them. Three Veterans came together unmasking these concepts, being curious about them, and processing their impact is part of the healing process.