Appropriation Art #ENGL1301

The painting I chose for the assignment was The Scream by Edvard Munch. I chose The Scream because of its meaning, which was revealed by Munch in a passage from his diary. He wrote, “I felt a gust of melancholy… My friends went on — I stood there trembling with anxiety — and I felt a vast infinite scream tear through nature.” Additionally, Munch described the painting as a visual representation of an emotional sensation. Based on the entry from his diary and his explanation of the painting, I think The Scream is a visible portrayal of what an anxiety attack feels like.

I was diagnosed with an anxiety and panic disorder when I was 10 years old. For as long as I can remember, I have had an unwelcome guest hitching a ride in the back of my mind, nitpicking every decision, and overthinking everything, even the most trivial of matters. I worry about nothing and everything, and probably judge myself too harshly. For me, day to day life is a constant struggle that can be anything from annoying, to crippling, to nearly impossible. Therefore, I have had my share of anxiety attacks, as well as panic attacks, and The Scream’s depiction of an anxiety attack resonates with me deeply.

I took a picture of myself reenacting the painting, then I cut my head out of the picture and superimposed it onto the body in the painting. I did this to make myself the subject of the painting because I strongly identify with the idea of being overwhelmed by anxiety. The title of my version of The Scream is My Brain Hates Me.