Inspired Lives was exhibited at The Dax Centre in late 2012 to early 2013. It explored suicide’s impact through the perspective of artists who have directly experienced suicide.
According to The Dax Centre, “Inspired Lives shares the original voice of suicide survivors. It reveals the deeply personal experiences of individuals who are working through their struggles, finding inspiration and taking steps towards healing. Regional artists Mic Eales and Konii Burns draw on personal narrative and symbolism in their installation-based artworks to explore the psychological and spiritual crisis of suicide and its damaging after effects. Their imaginative and immersive large-scale artworks use found objects and the materials of the natural world to give shape to painful emotions in turn transforming them into expressions of hope.”
This photograph is of Mic Eales’ installation Paradoxical Spiral, a series of lead sheets with Jessica’s poetry punched out. This was a central work in Inspired Lives.
Suicide was explored by Jessica in two other works: Suicide Silence (installed at Kings ARI) and Suicide Spirits (performed at Kings ARI as part of Darren Valentine’s OMG!).