Gripping Photo Series Portrays Anxiety With Everyday Objects

When John William Keedy first started using art to explore how anxiety is experienced, he wasn’t intending to get so personal. Now his series, “It’s Hardly Noticeable,” explores the world of a character with an unspecified anxiety-based mental illness, based on both his experiences with anxiety and his fascination with the cultural standard of “normal.”

Keedy graduated from Trinity University with a B.A. in studio art and psychology and moved on to receive a Master of Fine Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology. During his undergrad he was diagnosed with a anxiety disorder.

“The images began as a way of revisiting some of the thoughts and beliefs that I had at the time. I didn’t originally intend to display these images widely, but as I continued to make the images, they received a very positive reaction and I realized they had the potential to resonate with others going through similar experiences,” he told The Mighty in an email. “As I continue to add images to the series, I hope they can help to open a wider dialog about anxiety and mental illness.”

You can see more of Keedy’s work by visiting his website.