Epilepsy Test

The University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum showcases a multitude of artists and provocative visual displays. Among the collection, is “Landscape of the Body” (Epilepsy Test), by LaToya Ruby Fraizer. Fraizer, uses her photographs to express the struggles of her family, her mother’s ailments, and the social justice issues that have arose within her community. This particular piece is a representation of the relationship between her mother’s health conditions, and the availability to healthcare in their hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania. “Landscape of the Body” displays two photographs side by side. The left depicts Frazier’s mother hospitalized. When first looking upon the piece, the viewer will see a woman connected to a complex piece of medical equipment by an array of wires. The many wires connecting the two seem to be placed near her neck and cranium. Further observations include Frazier’s mother is
Although an analysis of Frazier’s photograph and the artistic elements she manipulates can be made without any background information, the viewer’s understanding would be enhanced if certain points were brought to light. In regards to her mother’s condition, she suffers from cancer, migraines, and seizures. With this information, I began to believe the building on the left was the aftermath of an earthquake, and was placed beside a picture of Frazier’s mother to symbolize her medical history of seizures. It was only after I looked into her the significance of her hometown to her artwork that I fully understood what Frazier wanted to relay all along. The building on the left was the remains of Braddock’s main healthcare facility. This photograph opened my eyes to injustice and inequality faced by many like Frazier and her family and also contributed to my appreciation of this