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Solo Exhibition

From October 01, 2022 to October 31, 2022

One, One Thousand...

Debe Arlook

© Debe Arlook, winner of October 2022 Solo Exhibition


Artist Statement

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''I suppose you have received many letters from desperate mothers. Here is mine.'' My sister wrote these words to a neurologist in 1997 when my nephew was two years old.

one, one thousand... is an unconventional documentary exposing the impact a rare and incurable form of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, has on a mother and son's experience of life-long care. At 28, David is nonverbal, experiences daily seizures, has scoliosis, severe autism, and requires 24-hour care. After years of pursuing conventional approaches to stop my nephew's seizures, Lori turned to nonconventional healers, working in energetic and mystical realms. Her love for David and seeing beyond their circumstances fuels her dedication to his care and her own personal growth. These photographs witness Lori's everyday challenges as a single parent and devoted caregiver while giving David a voice.

With David's minimal communication, I've always wondered what he sees, thinks and feels. His personality is sweet and he seems to have a good sense of humor but, we don't know his internal experience. Multiple artistic interpretations are used to convey David's unknown perception of the world and Lori's spiritual practice. Herein lies the intersection between what is ''real'' and what is outside our realm of understanding. Color references the possibility he experiences synesthesia, a condition in which one sense is experienced through another, such as seeing color when hearing a sound. Photographs include Lori's handwritten narrative.

one, one thousand... refers to Lori counting how long each seizure lasts and is a different kind of love story. When I asked David's permission to make this project, I did not know if he would respond. In a rare and astonishing gesture, he leaned toward me with sustained eye contact. I got my ''yes.''


Curator: Harvey Stein, Photographer, Teacher, Lecturer, Author and Curator


One, One Thousand...

Biography

Debe Arlook is an award-winning American artist working in photography. Through color and diverse photographic processes, Arlook’s conceptual work is a response to her surroundings and the larger environment, as she attempts to understand the inner and outer worlds of human relationships. Degrees in filmmaking and psychology inform these views. Her work is exhibited in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. In 2022 she received the CENTER Social Award Honorable Mention, Critical Mass Top 50, International Photo Awards Official Selection and was nominated for the Las Fotos Advocacy Award. She writes for the PhotoBook Journal, is an advisor for Pasadena Photography Arts, and founded Arlook Printing Services. Her work is featured in Lenscratch, Fraction Magazine, Strange Fire, L'Oeil de la Photographie, and Frames Magazine. She teaches at the Los Angeles Center of Photography and John C. Campbell Folk School.