On Becoming Rarer

On Becoming Rarer is a commentary on life, death and temporality, as seen from the viewpoint of someone with stage 4 cancer. The tag line, ‘Can Anyone Not Come Ever Rarer?’ is an acronym – C.A.N.C.E.R. – as well as a question that affects each person as they move forward through time and life: We are all, in fact, becoming rarer.

Joanna Phillips (UK)
Joanna Phillips has been creating her whole life, but only recently discovered the joy of stop motion animation. She will try her hand at almost anything, focusing predominantly on acrylic painting, multimedia and collage. This past year Phillips took up an adult art and design course which has led to her starting a higher level course at her local college. As a person with mental health and physical difficulties, she works hard to rise to the artistic challenges presented to her, working through problems in creative ways and appreciating every task she takes on, whether she manages to ‘complete’ it or not. Having been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer four years ago has completely changed her life, brought about a whole new perspective and helped her embrace art and creativity in a unique, therapeutic and cathartic way.