Tree Ristic

Portraits of the Mind

I did multiple self-portraits of myself in different mediums to express how mental illness skews my perspective of myself and of the world around me. I explored the intersection of mental health and artistic expression, finding a variety of ways to represent differing perspectives on the world in an abstract form. The portraits I created were meant to focus on individual challenges I face on a daily basis, such as texture sensitivity, depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and paranoia.

For texture sensitivity, I used collage and a mix of different mediums such as paper, newsprint, leather, fabric, paint, and glitter to create a picture of myself. Purposefully mixing multiple different textures, including some I hate such as glitter or leather, conveys the interactions I have with the varying textures around me and how it can leave me feeling disjointed or unsettled.

For depression, I created a background of watercolors and then drowned it out in ink before painting a self-portrait over it. This was to convey how the world feels very distant, almost hidden behind a curtain of darkness when I am in a depressive episode, and how this can leave me feeling almost hollowed out on the inside.

For anxiety, I created a piece with very light pencil strokes and a cautious, minimalistic approach when it came to details and imperfections. This was to expand on the need for perfection that drives most of my anxious thoughts especially when it comes to work that others will see. I also included a scribbled storm above my head to represent the anxious thoughts that can cloud judgement and thinking.

For attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, I created a figure via sharp scribbles and rapid movement of pencil across the page. I purposefully spent very little time on it in order to signify how short time feels when one has attention deficit disorder, and left it messy on purpose to show how my mind jumps between things rapidly.

For autism, I made a light background color wash on two separate pieces of watercolor paper, then cut up one of the colored papers to paste onto the back of the second. This is meant to represent the out-of-the-box thinking that comes with an autistic perspective on the world. I also left in the guide lines for the face as a way to symbolize the need for loose structure to build off of instead of being left completely on my own,

For paranoia, I drew myself without a face in dark charcoal to represent the void of paranoia that can form from unchecked fear. I also smeared red paint around the sides of the piece to represent blood as a way for the viewer to get a sense of paranoia too – is it blood, or is it paint? That fear of not knowing is meant to help visualize what paranoia does to a person’s rationality and sense of reality.

Tree Ristic ‘26

Advisor: Sharon Koelblinger

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