This series of photographs was inspired by my interest in possible remedies for trauma with addiction, anxiety, depression, and other mental conditions. During my research in “Purdue University Libraries’ Betsy Gordon Psychoactive Substances Research Collection,” I learned about the work of Dr. Charles Savage, an American psychiatrist at the Spring Grove State Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and a leading figure in research on the therapeutic value of LSD in the 1950s-1970s. I became specifically interested in his research on the use of psilocybin substances in treating patients diagnosed with schizophrenia as well as alcohol addiction. The effectiveness of psychedelic substances is astounding, not only in Dr. Savage's work but also in their use in ancient cultures. One particular set of ancient cultural artifacts that inspired me in the creation of this work were Guatemalan stone statues from 1500 BCE depicting psilocybin mushrooms. I found this reference in Charle Savage’s papers in the Special Archives Collection (MSP 70 Box 1). Motivated by this discovery, I constructed mushroom sculptures from paper maché as props for my photographs. I used paper from medicinal books, focusing on those pages that reference medical terms to link the mushrooms to their contested history in the medical field.
