S.T. GATELY
Gately has lived with chronic inflammatory arthritis for the last twenty years, causing regular pain, swelling and loss of range of motion to all of her major joints. Gately's prognosis is eventual paralysis.
Gately creates abstract self portraits that address her issues with chronic illness, often representing her arms in a purposefully disfigured manner, yet creating wings to compensate for the disfigurement.
In her work, Gately represents herself as powerful, colorful and provocative in order to grapple with intense feelings of depression, fatigue and physical helplessness. This piece demonstrates her struggle with her condition.