All of Me (44 page)
Authors: Kim Noble
‘Aims’ by Suzy
Canvas size: 50cm x 40cm
This is a portrait of Aimee when she was younger, copied from a photograph in which Aimee was modelling for a children’s magazine. Suzy had a bit of trouble painting the bend of her arm but Aimee really likes the painting. She loves being in the art room with any of the personalities and when one of them paints her or gives her a painting I think she feels closer to them. This was Suzy’s first painting after her nine ‘Mother & Baby’ works. These featured an infant and parent in different poses. I remember when I saw her first painting, a picture I named ‘Pure’. I thought it was finished but the next day I was shocked to discover she’d scribbled all over everything apart from the baby. To me this spoke of a chaotic mother desperately trying to cope with her ‘pure’ child. Suzy scribbles on all her paintings now with a permanent marker pen, even this one, so I’m used to it now. But I like finding her pictures before she ‘finishes’ them with the pen.
‘Golden Kabbalah’ by Key
Canvas size: 30cm x 23cm
Key either paints the Tree of Life from the Kabbalah or scenes of abuse. The latter are very much like Ria’s in content but are definitely Key’s in style. For example, one painting features a stick figure in a cage. Her Tree of Life paintings usually have ‘mirror writing’ like Ria’s, although this one has words facing the correct way. Sometimes she appears to be translating passages by putting words next to certain signs or colours.
‘Longing Rose’ by Judy
Canvas size: 122cm x 92cm
This is the second painting in a series of three. It’s called ‘Longing Rose’. The first painting in the series is just called ‘Rose’ and the third is called ‘Crying Rose’. As I interpret them, it’s the three stages of sexual awakening: waiting, then longing and then finally, of course, with the rose’s petals strewn on the floor, disappointment! This sequence is unusual because the character has facial details. The majority of Judy’s work features striking black-and-white and faceless subjects. She once painted a school class photo, realistic in every detail, except not one of the children had a mouth, nose or eyes.
‘Mystery of the Prayer’ by Anon
Canvas size: 102cm x 76cm
There is a personality who only paints in the early hours of the morning so Aimee and Dr Laine have never met her. I didn’t want her work to be unrecognised so I call her ‘Anon’. She pours the paint onto the canvas and uses the pallet knife sparingly, leaving the paint fresh and untouched.
‘Hangman’ by MJ
Canvas size: 80cm x 60cm
MJ or Missy will only paint with three colours: red, black and white. She creates with much energy, her canvas on the floor and paint flying around the room. Aimee loves watching her and I always know when MJ has been out because I’m covered in paint. This particular work was completed over a number of weeks and it appears to be a game of hangman between MJ and another personality. Each time I saw it there was a new letter. I think the answer was ‘dog’ or ‘god’. We’ve got space in the art room for about five pictures on the go at once. Most of us hang canvases on hooks on the wall. Any overspill I line up in the hall and the personalities find what they want and continue working on them.
‘Oh!’ by Suzy
Canvas size: 31cm x 25cm
When I left the note requesting self-portraits for Oprah, Suzy decided to paint Oprah instead. As usual, she’s taken the magic marker to the figure. All the pictures used on the show were shipped a few weeks in advance but at the last minute I decided I would take this one as a gift for Oprah. When we reached the studios, however, I saw a sign saying: ‘Please do not bring presents for Oprah’. I think it was aimed at the audience members but I felt uncomfortable handing over the picture after that so I put it back in my case. Aimee wanted to take something for the school that Oprah sponsors in Africa so she gave Kirsten, the producer, one of Abi’s paintings.
‘Silent Blue’ by Patricia
Canvas size: 91cm x 51cm
I don’t like my paintings at all but they’re quite popular with collectors. Gallery owners tend to like the more arresting or controversial images but when people are looking for something for their dining room it’s often my landscapes they go for. I really enjoy painting but the end results of my own efforts bore me. If I’m honest, I usually only go into the art room in the hope that another personality will come out and create something wonderful. I always feel better when there’s painting happening in the house. Even if it’s not me doing it, I can feel the creativity in the air and I look forward to seeing the results.
Note: the paintings are all signed by me, Patricia, using the body’s name ‘Kim’. Most of the other personalities are not interested in exhibiting or selling their works although they don’t mind if I organise things for them. The only one who has a problem with our progress so far is Judy, who hates being part of a group show. Her ambition is to have her own solo exhibition under her own name.
About the Author
Kim Noble
is an artist, a mother to her teenage daughter and has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), the new term for Multiple Personality Disorder. Without any formal art training, thirteen of her personalities are artists and have exhibited nationally and internationally in solo and group exhibitions. She was the first artist in residence at Springfield University Hospital, where she also co-ran a group for health service users. In 2010 she was a guest on
The Oprah Winfrey Show
and has taken part in conferences, radio and TV documentaries. She lives in London, England with her daughter, two dogs and a rescue cat. For more information, visit
www.kimnoble.com
.
Jeff Hudson
has written or ghostwritten more than twenty books, including
Sunday Times
bestsellers, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. He lives in London.
