Jason and the Adventure of 254
Think about all the things you did and experienced between the ages of 11 and 16. What games did you play? What TV shows and movies did you repeatedly watch? What songs would be on the soundtrack to the period when you grew out of adolescence and began the awkward early stages of puberty? The answers to these questions probably come quite easily because I suspect many of those things are somehow still active, or actively influencing, your life today. Everything that we see, hear and experience shapes who we are and what we become.
The artwork of Jason Wilsher-Mills was heavily influenced by his childhood and in many ways he was no different than any other young boy who played games, watched TV and read comics, found sporting heroes to worship and discovered music that inspired him, music that he felt was speaking directly to him. Except during those highly formative years, from the age of 11 to the age of 16, Jason Wilsher-Mills was paralysed from the neck down.
As both a way to look back while also showing that life is about moving forward, Wilsher-Mills has literally transformed that time of his life into comic-book style illustrations, larger-than-life characters and personalised dioramas that look like stand up arcade games. The entire show is staged as a chronological recap of major events he witnessed in the world and experienced with his medical condition. While incapacitated he could quite literally do little more than watch and observe but the artist he grew into clearly wasn’t interested in presenting a straight-forward recollection of what he saw and heard. What you’ll encounter is an exaggerated manifestation of a lived reality that shows an outsider what it’s like to step inside his mind.
Prepare for a visual shock as soon as you enter, because it’s impossible to miss the giant pair of surprisingly stylish Calliper boots. Forrest Gump would have been the popular kid if he had worn these! But look up and you’ll see giant blue viruses loom ominously overhead, casting shadows across the hospital ward setting. Despite the colourful palette there are reminders everywhere that life isn’t always so bright. Much of this comes from the early 80s facts interspersed along the walls with giant illustrations and recaps of Jason’s medical progress. If it’s all too much you can distract yourself by “playing” the arcade machines, which light up to present fantastical illustrations of Jason’s memories.
The entire room revolves around a giant 11-year old Jason in bed. Children often think the world revolves around them but when you’re literally immobilised then, quite frankly, it does. Wilsher-Mills views this sculpture, that humorously mashes up his medical treatments with exaggerated features (giant feet, little green army men fighting a virus, etc) as an act of rebellion and a way to own what must have been a harrowing childhood experience.
The obvious message of the show is that illness and disability are not insurmountable limitations to achieving your dreams, but I found myself far more fascinated by the visual and written reminders that everything we experience, from a debilitating medical condition to a sporting event we watch, shapes who we are and will become. Wilsher-Mills clearly developed a heightened awareness of this. Even without the fascinating 80s facts on the wall it would be hard to miss their influence in his work.
Though it’s dedicated to the science of health, Wellcome Collection always presents things in ways that are clear and understandable to all ages and abilities. Jason’s experience could have easily been explained with grainy black & white hospital bed photos, medical diagrams and hard to pronounce scientific text. I suspect he’d seen enough of that as a child, so he’s telling his story in his way, with an exciting and inspiring exhibition that demonstrates that who we are isn’t what we are but what we do with it.
Plan your visit
‘Jason and the Adventure of 254’ runs until 12 Jan 2025.
Free!
Visit wellcomecollection.org and follow @wellcomecollection on Instagram for more info about the venue.
Visit jwmartist.co.uk and follow @wilshermills on Instagram for more info about the artist.
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter. (It’s FREE!)