by Linn

I was doing research into depression and I came a cross an article on The Telegraph about a young artist turned author. She has written a book called “Mr Chartwell”. Winston churchill suffered with depression most of his life and he used to refere to it as his “Black Dog”. Rebecca Hunts book “Mr Chartwell” is about the librarian Esther Hammerhans and her encounter Winston Churchills “black dog” aka  Mr Chartwell or Black Pat.

Myself in my work are trying to create a face for my depression same way Rebecca Hunt has for Winston Churchills “Black dog”.

“Mr Chartwell is an exuberantly imagined novel that gives full rein to its central conceit. Larger than life in every way, Black Pat is a terrific character. He is heartless, shameless and almost without conscience, and his grim sense of humour and wheedling self-absorption are always unflinchingly doggy. Throughout the novel Hunt describes his appearance in close and precise detail: when he shakes his head, she notes “the ruff around his neck slinging about, a good wet noise coming from his loose cheeks as they slapped against his gums”. When he pants, his tongue is “slung down one cheek”; his ear has a “beef-pink lining”. When she writes of “the sumptuous taste of decayed bone”, the doggy ecstasy is unmistakable.” From the guardians review of the book.

I see my depression as running into someone you don’t like in the shopping centre, you just can’t get rid of, you try to go but they keep talking to you. the University does not have this book in it’s collection but the Library in Lancaster does so I might see if I can get my hands on a copy and have little read. I don’t think it would help my work if I do, I think through the article and review I got enough information, and also concidering the time we got left I think its better to do more prints and work on my narratives.