Stephen J Shanabrook: In Pills We Trust

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Shanabrook is constantly crossing the thin line dividing comfort and pain, beauty and death. The visual qualities of his work and the materials he uses have a calming effect on us. The apparently cute Easter bunnies remind us of our childhood, of the sweet taste of chocolate these forms are associated with. Seen from a distance, the trees and flowers from his 'The Danger is all Mine' series (2009) are of serene beauty. Yet Shanabrook's work has a deeply unsettling quality, confronting us with both a disturbing social phenomenon and our own dark little secrets. The central theme of Shanabrook's new show, 'In Pills We Trust', is addiction. It is about the moment when something soothing and calming turns into the source of pain and suffering. 'In Pills We Trust: Upper Bunny' (2009) is made of hundreds of stimulants pressed into a mould used for chocolate Easter bunnies. It is one big dose of deceiving happiness in the form of a cute little chocolate bunny. It seems so harmless, yet it can prove to be so dangerous. 'In Pills We Trust: Downer Bunny' (2009) on the other hand is made of depressants, the functional opposite of stimulants. The pharmaceutical industry works hard to satisfy everyone. For 'Pharmaceutical Landscape' (2009), Shanabrook has melted prescription pill bottles and pressed them into the form of Easter bunnies. We turn to prescription drugs for comfort, to cope with pain and reality. But while these drugs seem to promise simple solutions to our problems, they can become a problem themselves. According to the UN, the abuse of prescription drug has overtaken the use of nearly all illegal drugs with the sole exception of cannabis. Addiction to prescription drugs has become a major public health concern. It is a mass phenomenon that periodically becomes the subject of public discourse, especially after yet another death of some celebrity. The blossoms in 'The Danger is all Mine' series (2009) are also made of melted pill bottles, while the branches of the trees are made of surgical scalpel blades. As we approach these works, the apparent beauty turns into physical danger. In this sense, this series is a powerful symbol of how the use of drugs can turn into a dangerous addiction. Moments as soft and pleasant as the drops of warm summer rain turn into heavy and unbearable memories, made out of sharp steel - 'Blue Bird Syndrome: Twilight' (2009). 'Lithium Flower: Noon' (2009) is composed of melted Lithium pill bottles. Lithium is a mood altering drug used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. 'Lithium' is also the title of a Nirvana song featured on the band's groundbreaking album 'Nevermind' (1991). Frontman Kurt Cobain later explained that the song was about a man who, after the death of his girlfriend, turned to religion as a last resort to keep himself alive. To keep him from suicide". Seen this way, religion appears to be just another drug to help us cope with our existence.