Too Many Pills – Darkhat Studios

18″x24″ Acrylic Painting on Canvas

$50,000 USD

How do we recognize a dystopian society if we can adapt, or medicate our ability, to exist within it?

“Too Many Pills” raises the issue of adjusting an individual’s perception of reality through drugs and medication as the corrective action for the illness of society. Specifically, the chemical management of the individual’s reaction to trauma, sickness, and harm, when those issues are created by external environmental factors.

This is not a criticism of any specific medication, mental illness, healthcare provider, nor any individual’s choices. This painting is not about managing chemical issues within one’s body through medication. Rather, the painting questions instances of society’s reliance on chemical manipulation to conform individuals into its mold, while neglecting their true needs. I have witnessed the weaponization of prescriptions to deny medical services and support, and the stigma of drug addiction.

The individual portrayed in the artwork is depicted as temporary, impersonal, and disposable, akin to a sticker against the seemingly oppressive, chaotic backdrop of society. The vibrant colors and graphic art style serve to accentuate the stark divide between the individual and the broader societal context, drawing parallels to street art and underscoring the profound impact of environment, upbringing, and societal structures on marginalized individuals, particularly those living or operating on the street.

The design of the pills is based on the 1990 Nintendo game Dr Mario designed by Takahiro Harada. They are a generic representation of drugs, not based on any specific medication. In the painting they are designed to help the subject adapt to the environment; a mixture of primary colors to help the individual become the secondary colors of the background. In a sense a forced assimilation symbolizing the attempt to transform the individual into the societal framework that is the very thing causing the illness.

The backdrop is an abstract representation of society, filled with hidden symbolism of physical loneliness and separation of individuals, conformity, and hierarchy. It is structured to imply a sense of order within the chaos. The pyramid represents Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and ironically the upward movement of wealth distribution, which widens the gap between the affluent and the impoverished. These ideas are secondary to the illness of the individual but combine to provoke introspection and encourage viewers to discover and contemplate what other systemic issues are at play.

Personal Statement, Inspiration and Process

The concept and ideas behind the piece were written first. I then drew several sketches and created an 18 x 24 pastel version to explore colors and overall design. I spent time designing and redesigning the gesture and direction of the pills. I then used stencils to block out the foreground elements and painted the background. I can only describe that experience as spellcasting, but I felt like I was pouring very dark emotions into the piece.

I used photoshop to map different color combinations to get the right direction and balance of the pill colors before painting the foreground elements.

This is the first piece in a larger body of work where I continue to explore the contrast between the conformity of individuals and society, perceptions of reality, and the relationship to gender conformity and mental health. As a non-binary existing person, I have been a victim of repeated gender and sexuality-based violence from strangers in my community. As a young person this caused depression, social anxiety, and suicidal ideation. As an adult I realized the issue was not me but the culture I was growing up in. That culture is changing, there are other people like me, and I will speak about these human-caused issues.