The ritual is a concept that has existed since the dawn of man. Although they may go unnoticed, rituals have become routine for everyone. Those who suffer from OCD, such as myself, are subject to the performance of many rituals per day. The goal Ritual Experiment is to explore and contextualize this perspective, and give a snapshot of what the thought process may be like for someone affected by the condition.
Artist/Thesis Statement
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder deals with intrusive thoughts and rituals which can have vast interpretations. Centered around the ritual, my intention is to give my audience insight into a mental illness, and to interpret it in a physical sense. By giving the user an interactive way to explore the elements of my work, I am enabling them to experience the feelings and stresses that accompany OCD and the rituals involved.
The organization of information in my project allows the viewer to visualize anxiety spikes and intrusive thoughts, as well as the specifics and nuances of the coinciding ritual behavior. The goal is to utilize my own experience and illustrate what’s happening in my brain to help contextualize the condition for other people. Providing a narrative for something as fluid as OCD will allow a way to convey intrusive thought patterns, as well as interpret themes such as germophobia, control over situations, and using rituals to cope with anxiety
Through the organization of labeling of different information, my goal is to analyze the interaction that happens between a person that the object they are accessing. Not only are they accessing the information, but also experiencing the ritual as they do so.
