Exhibition Review - ICTAL

The first of Gus Cummins’s prints took my breath away. “Post Ictal” is a series of disjointed, faded, overprinted words in tones of grey, a dialogue between someone post epileptic seizure, confused and desperately trying to remember and the “rescuer” repeating, repeating questions.

Gus Cummins uses tests from neurological diagnosis, transforming them into challenging art. Screenprinted MRI brain scans have an Andy Warhol quality hiding evil grinning faces. An EEG (electro-encephalogram) starts calmly and proceeds to the chaos of a seizure, screenprinted in white on black with a quote from Dostoyevsky.

Gus had his first seizure in 1991 and was undiagnosed for years, tested and medicated to the point of exhaustion. His journey through the process of epileptic diagnosis and the chaos it plays with health and head is a familiar journey for many who call epilepsy a constant companion.

Here’s what Gus says about his art: “I look normal. I am ashamed to tell people I have epilepsy. It’s restricting my ability to manage my life, but if I don’t seek help, no one knows. I decide to learn about epilepsy… I stop hiding my condition and decide to talk about it. I find understanding. I make this exhibition and find pride.”

The exhibition is at the Neurosupport Centre in Liverpool until mid-July.

If the purpose of art is to provide a fresh and unexpected look at the world, Gus is going to very exciting places.

Clair Chapwell

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