Pain Awareness Month New Zealand

On 11 Oct 2012 we made an announcement on this blog, and on our associated Facebook page, that Rachel Donnelly had been disqualified from the 2012 Painmonth competition due to ‘inconsistencies in voting’. This posting was done without allowing Rachel the opportunity to comment on the votes that had been placed. We now acknowledge that we were in error for placing this posting in this way and accordingly offer our unconditional and sincere public apologies to Rachel.
While reviewing the votes that we received, we noted that there was a large number of Rachel’s votes that came from the same IP addresses; there were 11 IP addresses with a total of 69 votes coming from them. The competition rules stated ‘one vote per IP (one vote per computer)’. We now acknowledge that this rule is contradictatory. Although it is acknowledged that most of Rachel’s multiple votes came from a single IP address being the computer server of a large Auckland company, we have interpreted our competition rules literally and have made these votes invalid. i.e. only one vote per IP address. As these votes represented about 35% of Rachel’s total votes the management decided to disqualfy her from the competition. As a result of this we also advise that we will carefully scrutinise the wording of our competition rules for the future.
Once again we reiterate our public apology to Rachel for the way in which her disqualification was managed by us and announced on the website and Facebook. We acknowledge that we should have requested her input when we found what we considered to be inconsistencies in the voting. In no way did we intend our posting on the website and Facebook to suggest that Rachel had done anything wrong or deliberately tried to manipulate the voting. We are extremely sorry for any pain, anger and embarrassment caused to Rachel, her family, and her friends, as well as anybody else who has been effected by our error of judgement.

Artist Kelly Moynihan

Title of Piece Inflamed

About the Piece  Along the way I’ve used art to express the depths of feeling, human in a strange, visceral, paradoxical, emotional and wonderful world. I read a piece of interactive art once saying ‘my body is a battlefield’ which absolutely resonated. This is one digital artwork of many in a series.

About the Artist 

I have worked in various artistic mediums. Beginning with drawing and painting in my youth ,  and acting. Then studying tertiary film, working in filmmaking, multi-media, events, vj-ing. I have continued always to draw and paint and manipulate/layer images digitally.

My experience with chronic pain began with an injury to my coccyx at twelve years of age which proceeded to affect my pelvis from that time forward. Back then holistic thinking wasn’t in the equation-not relating my pelvis alignment with the coccyx injury. I was a gunny young person throwing my body around recklessly, with many falls in sports such as single waterski, mountain biking, snowboarding, trampolining. Somewhere amongst all that I began a relationship with pain and discomfort in my upper thoracic which was worse than my gummy right hip. No amount of yoga, osteopathathy, physio was really getting to the root of it. With some MRI scans in recent years revealed a tear in my shoulder labrum and just this month I have had arthroscopic labrum repair surgery to a tear in the joint cartilage which could well be responsible for much/some of so far at least twelve years of pain. Right now whilst healing I am mentally focusing on healing deep in the joint and diminishing old compensatory patterns. I’ve worked also through counselling and energy healing methods to heal mental and emotional issues relating to growing up in the world we live in, which I believe is a pretty harsh environment in many ways.

Hey all!

Just a quick reminder that today is the last day we will accept entries into this art comp – so you have just over an hour to sneak in with your last minute entries!

and second, Congratulations to our Daily winners from Saturday who was Hinerukarere Norris, And todays daily prize goes to Sarah MacClure – well done to you both!

Anthea

Artist Sarah MacClure

Title of Piece Lost/Clouded

About the Piece Pain and illness being such an influencing factor on a person’s decisions and directions, over time blurring the lines between the inner self and the suffering experienced. Pain becoming integrated into identity.

About the Artist I have been dealing with CFS for the past 3 years. While it may not be particularly severe, it weighs me down on a daily basis, and impacts every area of my life. Art has been one of the best ways of dealing with it for me, and has always been a good way of expressing myself.

 PLEASE NOTE This Artwork is created by a member that is very close to the organization of this event, so is not an entry into this competition. However this piece will be available to purchase through our auction – so I wanted you guys to get a sneak preview

About the Piece This artwork has been created in Lightwave, and composited in photoshop.

Unlike my normal digital works nowadays, this is not a landscape. I wanted to keep the subject and theme more intimate, not so much about the interaction of the environment. A nice step out of my comfort zone.

The purpose of this image is hope, and freedom of the mind no matter the physical condition.

In composition I wanted an almost cinematic look. Sometimes it does feel like we are living out a movie from a viewers perspective, sometimes it is almost surreal.

The robotic nature of the body is symbolic of medicine and of the medical world. It enables the subject to function but it is artificial and weakened, I chose to portray this with thin limbs and lots of exposure of the inner workings. It is how ever a subtle armour, a form of protection. I wanted to give a sheen to the “armour” to connect things such as gel caps to this idea. This reflects the world within itself.

Despite this… the subject looks up. This is hope, and reaching forth we understand that the expression is not of sadness but of concentration. The mind bridled and leading the body upwards, as the light descends from above.

Lastly I wanted to symbolise freedom of the mind by staging the scene within the sky, at that a spiritual sky, the akasha, ether, quintessence etc. It is timeless and spaceless and here there is no limitations, free from the bondage on the physical plane.

Name of Artist Hineraukura Norris

Title of Piece Manukarere

About the Piece Meaning – at first glimpse, it could be identified as a Phoenix rising out of the ashes. And so it is. But in the cultural context Manu/birds are also messengers between the physical and spiritual realms. This Manu represents both. Rising above our challenges to transformation and freedom. Also carrying our dreams and aspirations to the Heavens as a form of prayer. This is  the prayer of my soul within, and for each person living with their own challenges.

Doctors tell me to accept my condition. That is so easy for them to say. I cannot give up hope. That would be spiritual suicide. I hope this piece inspires others not to give up either.

About the Artist 

 Raranga/Weaving was once my world. I accumulated weaving skills and knowledge over 16yrs of experience with this art form.

It was my vocation, my passion, my connection to our Ancestors and our Earth. It was also my identity as a woman, Maori, and Artist. It sustained and nurtured myself and my children.

I enjoyed extending the technical skills to explore sculptural forms. This is one of the last pieces I made as Chronic Pain entered my life 6 years ago. My intention was to create many more of these “Manu” or birds, and exhibit them in flight across a large wall.

I have struggled many times over the 6yrs to achieve this goal, and have wasted a lot of flax, and cried a lot of tears.

Despite all of this I still aspire to achieve this goal. When I do, it will truly be a celebration that expresses the meaning behind this piece.