Armour
Mr Brittain is a 77 year old man who suffers from emphysema, hypertension, heart failure, arthritis, indigestion and insomnia. Until the age of fifty he was relatively healthy but he did smoke. The smoking gradually destroyed the fabric of his lungs causing emphysema. It also contributed to the two heart attacks that together with his high blood pressure resulted in heart failure. He now spends his days sitting in his armchair breathing oxygen through a mask. He is often in pain. He can no-longer go out and recently has had difficulty walking around his flat.
From his medical record we have calculated the number of prescriptions he has had in the last 5 years. This enormous suit is made out of their packaging and illustrates the huge quantity of medication that he has to take. The armour-like appearance of the piece represents the tough outer shell many people have to adopt in order to endure the suffering caused by the chronic diseases of old age.
2000