Michael Marefka
A Sterile Lie

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School

Brecksville-Broadview Heights
High School

City
Broadview Heights, Ohio

Teacher
Anne Jones

Intern


Alexander Ulintz and
Steven J. Zamborsky

Medium
Mixed Media

Artist's Statement

I chose procedural sedation as my topic, and by using mixed media, developed my concept into reality. When sedated, you are helpless, you lie there still and your life is no longer in your hands. Complications happen, and steps are taken to prevent them. Not eating within an hour of sedation is critical for a patient’s safety. I created a fork using clay and bent the “fingers” to form the universal body language of dishonesty. The fork lies on a bed made out of crisp, white, impressionable fabric. This gives a sense of sterility. The fork represents a “patient” wanting to be sedated to take the pain away, even if it means lying about how long ago he ate -- a deadly lie that can create a life-threatening complication.