SARAH GOBELL

Order Artist Statement

 

The word order refers to the arrangement of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern, or method. My initial thought to the word order was the disorder that some people have called obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This disorder causes people to have uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that they feel the urge to repeat over and over. The compulsive rituals are performed in an attempt to prevent the obsessive thoughts or make them go away to relieve anxiety. There are certain types of this disorder, some people may experience the fear of contamination, while others are obsessed with order and symmetry. My photo represents a few of these specific categories of OCD; checkers, washers, and counters.

 

I was inspired for this concept by learning about this disorder and its need for order compulsions in school. The first photo in this series shows a checker, a person who needs to check the lights five times to make sure they are on/off to relieve stress. The second photo shows a washer, a person who feels the need to feel extremely free of contamination and clean. Finally, the third photo shows a person obsessed with the need for patterns or symmetry. In order to take this photo I needed three different scenes all which a person with OCD might find themselves. The person in each photo has a small reminder on their hand because sometimes people with this disorder need some kind of reminder of their tasks.

 

When taking this photo I was reminded of the craziness this disorder can cause. OCD is a common but also serious disease that can control a lot of someone’s life. People with OCD crave order in different ways and exploring this disease was eye-opening.