Kill Joy explores the many facets of mental illness, including both coping mechanisms and the denial that often precedes treatment. The works within the exhibit propose the existence of psychological space within the body and this space's interaction with the physical environment. Spray paint finds its way into most of the works, a common material I once used for graffiti and tagging. Tagging, a process that reaffirms and announces one's presence in the world, is now used to connect existential angst and a subtle crying out for help amidst the haze of the unknown. Drawing inspiration from my experience working construction, the colors of spray paint work to imply that the environment in the painting, as well as understanding the psychological space being created, is a work in progress itself. Touching on tones of isolation, self-medication, and depression, Kill Joy offers a perspective of depression through a false façade. The work appears bright and exciting, but as the viewer sits longer with each piece and marinates in the vibration of fluorescent color, there is a modulation and transference of tone to something that feels disjointed, uncomfortable, and anxious. Such states stem from my diagnoses of Tourette's syndrome and OCD and the act of trying to conceal and not deal with these aspects of self. The neon glow and warmth of light mixed with the large, consuming panels provide a presence that is inviting and exciting yet overwhelming and steeped in the false projections of the tropes of so-called "good times." I relate this experience to my own struggles with depression and anxiety and the hyperawareness of the outward appearance I would be projecting in order to conceal and protect others from what I would be dealing with. The presentation of myself becomes the ultimate false advertisement; it is the neon on a store front meant to attract an audience but is not advertising or implying what is really inside. Ultimately my desire is for Kill Joy to provide a glimpse into the world and experience constructed by an individual who is searching for self-understanding while coping with connotations and stigmas that still plague the commonality of mental illness.