Receipt From My Purchase of Madness, Fairy Jung
An oversized hyperrealistic drawing of a receipt is hung with an oversized piece of pink shiny tape. The hand-written words on it include classic receipt elements such as address, phone number and date with a humorous twist. They read: 8008135 Your Mom Street, Suite 789, Warmest Part of the Ocean, 22228, 1-800-AAH-CHOO! Fri 77/77/7777 Bingo!!AM
The rest of the receipt, stylized as store name and items purchased, read: I no longer compete with myself. She is too strong. If I had just been given a trophy for resting as a kid, it wouldn’t be so hard to get things done now. My inner critic and I have found a common enemy in anyone who comes between us and our sleep. My sanity: a rental. Institutions don’t: feel pain. Subtotal: $6.67. Tip: Cry about it. Total: $6.66. You wouldn’t last a day in my world. Goodbye.
Title: Receipt From My Purchase of Madness
Artist: Fairy Jung
Date: 2023
Medium/Materials: Digital print on paper
Dimensions: 124 cm x 43 cm
Form/Genre: Digital art
Key Terms/Subject/Tags: Chronic illness; Madness; Grief
Artist Statement:
Receipt From My Purchase of Madness is a mini installation about asking for help when you don't know how. The grief as you embody a new reality. Its teeth. A declaration of existence, love letter, warning label, distress signal - whatever you want, baby.
Since its inception, Fairy Jung has come to learn and accept that they are chronically ill and disabled. They’ve worn many skins, habits, lifestyles, medications, and disappointments. Chasing a Fake Normal, but also discovering themself every time they’d crash and burn. Something more sustainable.
This piece is also the preservation of what saved them: Jung’s humour, rage, compassion, love, justice, sensitivity. Magic. Saying, "I may be disabled, but I am not destitute. But even if I was, I’d buy madness every time."
In Jung’s words, while Disability took nearly everything from them, it also blessed them with Truth. The ability to honour Jung’s limitations because they’re aware without shame. Seeing through people’s projections because Jung once denied themself support, too! And their favourite: When they’re happy, they are truly happy. When they are confused, they know the answers are coming. Jung trusts their desires.
A certainty that doesn’t betray the unknown.
Jung found it while fighting for a past self who deserved everything they have now. Screaming, "Where were you all when I needed you?"
Then a gentle hand finds a place on one of Jung’s sore spots. And through gritted teeth, she says, "Don’t ruin this for me. You’re the one who survived, but I’m the one who starved. Now go let everything in."
Cultural Context / Story Behind the Work:
Created when Jung was going freshly mad from undiagnosed chronic illnesses (mental and physical), but also decolonizing their mind. Before they knew how to advocate for themself and before they got help. Coming from an immigrant family and a planet that doesn't believe in invisible disabilities as they should, Jung’s mental health suffered as they could not understand why their physical health kept worsening "mysteriously."
Rights for this Image:
This digital image is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. You are free to share it for non-commercial purposes, as long as you credit the artist.
Learn More:
Instagram: @fairyielle
Substack: magicalbastardism.substack.com