Sculpture Information
This piece represents the anguish and despair of depression. The inspiration for the pose came from Steve’s story who describes depression as something which never completely goes away.
I carved this piece to raise awareness that Gloucestershire’s suicide rate remains significantly higher than the national rate in 2016. (11.5 people per 100,000 compared to England’s 8.8 per 100,000). Suicide is 80% more likely to occur in males than females (ages between 35 and 49) which correlates with unemployment, living alone (40%) and being white British (84%).
Agonia is a Greek word which means severe mental struggle, agony or anguish. Christ endured ’Agonia’ in the Garden of Gethsemane before committing to die on the cross. So great was his pain that he sweat drops of blood; a condition called haematidrosis which also happened in the 1st World War before men were sent out of the trenches into battle.
