Landowski, whose work tackles the physical and mental toll of disease, visited campus during the opening reception Wednesday, March 11 to share thoughts about her work.
Seeing the work from artist Kristen Landowski left some visitors feeling uneasy, but in a good way. Before hearing the backstory behind the pieces, some viewers described a sense of doom.
“It feels a little bit exposed if that makes sense,” LMC student Nat Geroldy said. “It’s kind of intimate right? It’s something you should share with somebody you’re intimate with.”
Many pieces were focused on the female form and with some depicting women in the nude.
Rather than appearing polished like most art pieces are, the sculptures are intentionally dirty and distressed. The pieces are an euphemism for the realities of breast cancer and the effects it can have on the body.
“One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and may not have any access to health care,” said Landowski. “My inspiration when it came to these sculptures comes from my grandma who was dying from breast cancer. I then found out my mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer and that I was a carrier of the disease.”
Although Landowski finds it difficult to choose a favorite, because each work holds personal meaning, she highlighted two that are significant.
“An important piece to me is ‘Stoicism: In the face of death’ and ‘Disintegration under the weight’ because it’s like, the weight of the nest that is holding it,” said Landowski underscoring the stress of living with breast cancer.
Many of those attending the reception came from Los Medanos College and surrounding areas, with a large number being art students.
Graphic arts professor John Schall, who brought his class to the exhibit, said his favorite piece was “Stoicism: In the face of death.”
“It has a delicate face and skin in contrast to the rough undertone most here pieces have,” he said. “There’s definitely some sadness. I appreciate that sadness.”
Students visiting the gallery described feelings of either melancholy or amazement. One student, Hillary Sosa, said she liked the piece called “The Sketch: Deception of the Healthy Body.”
“I think it’s really interesting because there is not just one perfect body, it can be different for a lot of people,” Sosa said. “I didn’t even know this was going on, I was brought here from my class but I’m glad I came. I don’t really go to these types of things so it’s very refreshing to see the way different people do art.”
Another student, Alex Leonardo, said his favorite sculpture was “BRCA 1+Gene:Mother.”
“I thought that the Art Gallery was very humanizing, it was pretty interesting.” Leonardo said.
Soliel Rabsatt, who takes art classes at LMC said she really liked the piece “Disintegration under the weight.”
“My classmate sort of described it as like a mushroom, onion kind of thing? It is probably about birth and stuff and I was like, that kind of has a lot of meaning,” she said.
Rabsatt said these sculptures are intriguing despite the focus on female bodies and deformity.
“I know another person said he felt uncomfortable but I don’t. It just makes me more interested in the work,” she said.
Landowski’s artwork resonated with many students at LMC during a time when breast cancer cases have steadily increased since the early 2000s, according to the CDC.
Awareness about breast cancer remains important because half of the population can be affected by it. Black women, in particular, are disproportionately affected, experiencing a 38% higher mortality rate from breast cancer , according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. According to the LMC Website, Black/African Americans make up 13.5% of the student body.
Increasing awareness about breast cancer not only saves lives, but also protects families too.
The exhibit will be on display until April 2 in the LMC Library Art Gallery. Hours are Monday through Wednesday 1 to 4 p.m.
