A Road Less Traveled - Artist's Pages - Brief Article

Afterimage, Nov-Dec, 2001 by William Harroff

Too often, artists tend to take for granted one of the most valuable benefits of being an artist: the creative act itself. We give birth and form to an idea from nothing. Artists ideally create something larger, outside of and longer lasting than our own mortal lives. Making art is a "greater good" for ourselves and, potentially, for others. When the individual artist experiences a crisis, these overlooked benefits become precious.

My life changed forever on November 22, 1989, simply by my getting into a car for a family visit over the Thanksgiving holiday. For the next six years, I spent most of my days flat on my back in unrelenting pain. I was forced onto disability at the mercy of the Social Security Administration (SSA) as one of SSA's first experiments with the Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) program.

When my physical disabilities no longer allowed me to create art at a high level, severely limiting my media options, the "Eternal Network" of mail art became my adopted cultural family. Mail art was inclusive and diverse. Anything I created was accepted. Mail art was empowering. My work continued to be exhibited and valued. Mail art was free, except for postage costs. Since my savings quickly evaporated as the illness dragged on, I couldnit upset my budget over something extraneous like art. Mail art was political. My righteous anger found focus. Mail art provided anonymity. My avatars allowed me to experiment with new artistic identities.

I have been a book artist for the last 18 years, working almost exclusively in digital formats for the last six years. I never would have considered becoming an electronic artist had I not become ill. Computers were not used to create art when I was in school, but, once I became disabled, my priorities and attitudes slowly changed. I accepted I might be bed-ridden for the rest of my life. Technology seemed my only choice for employment and the continuation of my career. SSA provided me with the funding to buy a sophisticated computer graphics system. I was motivated, but transformation was required on many levels. Little did I realize that the new technologies would become the perfect tool for me to uniquely combine words and images.

My digital prints often make people laugh, then think. Both are healthy, life-affirming methods of addressing the difficult, contemporary issues represented in the works. Humor and playfulness act as gates that help individuals open up to new perspectives, while anger and confrontation function only as barriers. Through faith, love and extensive physical therapy, I began a slow recovery six years ago. Most of the works on this page originated and developed during this "painful period." My once desperate choice has blossomed into true healing and an invigorating career path.