Painting

I've been toying around for some time with ways to paint from photographs. I'm regularly inspired by paintings of people (Modigliani especially, but other contemporary painters as well). I love the way, in painting and drawing, that an artist can abstract and manipulate what is before him. This is the first completed piece in this vein that I'm pleased with.

Encouraging Words

Over the past few months, as my work on the series Skeleton in the Closet has progressed, I've received quite a few encouraging emails and comments. These come from people who have participated in the series, people who have viewed the work online, and people who have come to the gallery shows.

While I've been curious from the beginning about how art can be therapeutic for people struggling with eating disorders, I didn't go into this series with the specific intention of helping people. I really just wanted to create good work about a difficult subject. So the feedback from people who have been encouraged by the work, found healing in the work, felt less alone because of these images and words, is a beautiful side benefit.

I thought I'd share a few here:

A friend of mine sent a link to your photos about eating disorders, and I just had to tell you how wonderful I think they are. Hearing from the subjects in their own words is so moving, and the photos themselves are amazing. They really do capture that eating disorders don't discriminate, those who suffer from them come in all shapes and sizes...the stereotypes we picture aren't always true. As someone who's battled an ED for over 10 years now, it's very rare to find something that seems to capture how we really feel. I think this exhibition has done that, and I thank you for posting it. Take care.

Keva

Fritz,

I just wanted to thank you for your work; I've struggled with an eating disorder for the past four years (seems like forever) and recently 'relapsed'. It is rare yet inspiring to see such honest, diverse depictions of individuals and their stories. Although it is still a work in progress, I am wondering if I could be added to a mailing list or possibly receive information as to when it will be published/where it will be available - I'm definitely interested in buying a copy and supporting your work.

Thank you so much,
Kristin P

I spoke to you on the 'Face The Issue' message boards quite a while ago. I remembered it the other day and stumbled across the website for your photographs. I just wanted to say that I think you have done a wonderful wonderful job.

Reading the introduction, with the line "I've seen thinner" seems to sum it all up. No matter what people expect or feel, there's always thinner. I think you have shown-in such a beautiful way- that people suffering from eating disorders aren't always thin and are definitely not always people who are obsessed with how they look or how much they weigh.
Everytime I look at your photos I find another quote that I relate to, the words match the photos in both their beauty and complexity.

Make sure you post a link to your photography on the FTI website, I'm sure the others would benefit from seeing it.

Thank-you,

Looloo6

Hi Fritz!
I got your wonderful photo and story today! Thank you so much for putting my story, my experience, into a photo and words so eloquently. I cannot thank you enough!
-Elizabeth L

Fritz,

Great show. It's so hard to do what you have done. It's rare to see
work that balances subject and the visual, complimenting each other
in such a powerful way. It's so easy to make seductive and beautiful
images at the expense of content. You didn't compromise and you
treated everyone with respect including the viewer.

Jim L

Thank you so much for including me in this. I really was surprised at how much I connected with you even at our first meeting. I truly feel like working with you allowed me to let go of my eating disorder in a way that I can celebrate forever. Thank you.

Kaarina

i feel so honored to be a part of it. I'm going to try and make it down to see the show today. thank you so much for being an outlet for me :) I would love to help with your future projects if you find a need for me!

-Megan

My name is Jamie, and I guess I'm bulimic. I stumbled upon a link to your work, and I found it to be very powerful. I am 30 years old, and it made me feel a bit less alone with having an ED at my age when I saw the photos and read the stories of your subjects.



Thank you putting together the skeleton in the closet, it helped remind me that recovery is not some unattainable gold floating way out there.
Lisa



I came across your photographs in "Skeletons in the Closet" and I wanted to congratulate you on how well you portrayed the suffering of eating disorders. I am in "recovery" (however, each day is still a struggle) from bulimia and anorexia and found these photos to be very well done. When most people try to portray eating disorders, they show only the 80 pound, near death girls, and this really puts a real face on the disease. The women in the picture could be anyone- teenagers, mothers, daughters, friends, teachers, doctors, etc. Job well done!

Karly

Thank you so much for the beautiful artwork. I could see a slice of my life (or a slight variation of my own pain) within all your portraits of the women and men that are suffering from various manifestations of the eating disorder. It was sort of walking through a simultaneously very poignant, ugly and beautiful, scary but all too familiar hall of mirrors.

Ana

I just needed to tell you that you have completely been able to capture the soul of so many victims of the eating disorder community with your photos. I was so moved to tears when reading the different stories and looking at the photos. I have had an ED for most of my 50 years on this earth. There is so much that the medical community does not know about this awful disorder and can never begin to uncover. You have captured that pain, the insanity, the torture, the hope, the destruction with your photos. I would love to look at these photos everyday to see that I am not alone. I am not singled out because these disorder crosses all races, ages, gender. Why don't you present this to the psychiatric and medical community? They need to learn how to help us. Thank you so much for taking your time and your creativity to focus on ME.

Debbie
Philadelphia

Fritz,
I just wanted to thank you again for giving me the chance to work with you on your series. This was a huge step in the right direction for me and i'm glad that i got to express this part of myself.
Stephen


Hi Fritz,
I was just browsing through your blogspot and I felt moved to say that you are such an exceptional person and I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to share such a personal aspect of my life with such an extraordinary artist. Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,

Valerie