Hidden Agenda

Hidden Agenda documents Carol Chase Bjerke’s large-scale multifaceted art project about living with an ostomy after treatment for colorectal cancer. An ostomy is a surgical reconfiguration of the intestine to create an opening in the abdominal wall through which body wastes pass. Addressing quality-of-life issues ranging from questions of identity and privacy to specifics of management and self-care, this book is about relentlessness and repetition and time measured in medical supplies. Bjerke conveys vast amounts of information and provides an entree into long-overdue discussions about what many would designate as a crude and outdated medical procedure that is still used as state-of-the-art treatment for a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. Intensely personal yet tastefully, thoughtfully, and beautifully wrought, Bjerke’s artwork not only provides one woman’s story about living with an ostomy but also serves as inspiration, affirmation, and support for patients, family members, artists, and everyone interested in the healing power of creativity.