View from the Ambulance, Dylan Mortimer

As a cystic fibrosis patient, Dylan Mortimer finds ambulance doors an intriguing and “visually surprising” symbol of the tension that exists between trauma and hope for those living with chronic illnesses. This piece was inspired by Mortimer’s experience being transported by ambulance from Kansas City to St. Louis to receive his first double lung transplant. At the start of the ride, Mortimer took a photograph of the Kansas City landscape through the medical imagery on the ambulance doors, hoping that he would live to see it again. He created this work shortly after transplant, seeking to transform a tragic situation into something beautiful.