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GRADUATE
PHOTOGRAPHY
ONLINE 2017

John Lewis

Living with the after effects of Prostate Cancer treatment

About One in Eight Men will get Prostate Cancer in the UK. The after-effects of cancer treatment for men with Prostate Cancer raise some very intimate issues such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction which are very difficult to deal with. The project turns the camera onto myself and my wife and family and includes some self-portraits which attempt to show the after effects of treatment on well-being, feelings of loss of manhood and self-worth as well as the sense of bereavement felt by my wife. Inspired by the work of Larry Sultan (Pictures from Home), and others who turned their cameras on their own family to document and communicate their feelings in private and intimate situations.

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‘A routine blood test identified Prostate Cancer I had no symptoms and was 56.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts ‘Reading for the first time about the cancer and operation side effects was horrific.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts ‘Treatment choices were to be made. Ultimately all choices lead to the same place.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts ‘Mr Nobody! Following the operation a strong sense of loss of manhood exists.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts ‘Help with tablets but things can never be the same again in the bedroom.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts ‘The sense of loss was acutely felt by my wife, similar to a bereavement.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts ‘Looking! Often my wife would leave home and be gone for hours.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts ‘In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer.’ - John Lewis - Open College of the Arts