OXYgen by Aoife Shanahan

About

OXYgen consists of a series of photograms made with the drug Oxycontin®, a strong narcotic and the prime suspect in the current opioid crisis. While the drug is legally available via prescription as a tablet, it is often then ground down into a fine powder and subsequently snorted or injected, creating an instant euphoric high similar to that of heroin.               

Purdue Pharmaceutical, owned by the Sackler family, aggressively marketed Oxycontin® to physicians claiming that the drug’s delayed release mechanism would limit the risk of addiction. This was not the case and vast numbers of patients became strongly addicted, needing increasing doses to satisfy their cravings or turning to cheaper street alternatives such as heroin. Therefore, a new generation of addicts was created.

In an image-saturated environment, we are constantly exposed to new digital data that is easily manipulated and audience-specific, distributed through news and social media platforms. The level of trust in the media has dropped so dramatically that we must devise alternate approaches of communication that challenge, probe and question traditional modes of viewing. This work attempts to highlight how camera-less photography can be used as an effective way of talking not only about the issues surrounding addiction but also about the issues surrounding photographic representation.