Indolent Cancer

Following her Stage IV diagnosis, Joyce began receiving annual CT/PET scans to monitor the growth of her cancer. The progression of her disease can be traced through these scans from 2007 until the final scan in 2020, which led to her decision to end treatment. But these scans paint an incomplete picture. Even as she stopped treatment, Joyce maintained that this was one of the happiest and most contented times in her life.

Named for the classification given to the type of breast cancer Joyce had, Indolent Cancer attempts to bridge the gap between these two opposing threads and present Joyce’s life over the past fourteen years as it was: full of ups and downs, but always focused on the beauty of life, of loving, of laughing and creating.

From a collection of approximately twenty-five scans, Alex and contributing artist Kevin Figueroa have chosen five of the most significant points along Joyce’s journey and placed them in a lightbox, reminiscent of the X-ray illuminators at a doctor’s office. At the center of each is a “slice” from her scans – all the same pose. Joyce faces forward with her arms raised over her head. Depending on the year and device, the scan images look different. Some show a white body on a black backdrop with the beams of white light representing cancer. In other images it’s the exact opposite, with the dark blots representing the disease.

Surrounding these scans is a curated collage of family photos and pictures from Joyce’s social media. These images depict family events and life happenings at approximately the same time as each scan. As such, many of the photos feature Joyce’s other great passion: cooking.

In addition, other images from Joyce’s medical history are included to offer a deeper look into what was going on beneath the surface of Joyce’s body. These images have been repurposed, turning the sterile and impersonal medical scans into something creative, abstract, and beautiful.