RAY PAUL ARTIST STATEMENT

My name is Ray Paul. I am an artist, musician, biology enthusiast and a sarcoma patient at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. I hold a B.S. in Biology from Florida State University, 1986, and a M.F.A. in painting from the University of Cincinnati, 1991. My sarcoma journey began in the spring of 2011, when I noticed a rapidly enlarging lump protruding from my left flank. When I received “The Call” that I have a sarcoma, shock and confusion rushed in, but curiously, was followed by a sense of calm resolve and numb determination. Fear was thankfully suppressed. By pure, sublime serendipity, my next door neighbor and friend, Dr. Jacob Scott, happened to be a resident in the Radiation Department at Moffitt,. Through him, I enjoyed a deep well of knowledge, compassion, honesty and inspiration. For that I am eternally grateful. I was admitted to Moffitt for treatment in September 2011. I enthusiastically and gratefully took part in a Phase II clinical trial using a combination of high dose radiation therapy with intratumoral dendritic cells. I also contributed to the Moffitt Total Cancer Care Protocol with lifetime prospective follow-up. After undergoing multiple surgeries, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, I am now in remission. 

This life-consuming ordeal has taught me a lot. I have placed my complete faith and trust in my team at Moffitt, and in my physical and spiritual ability to heal. I am supported by friends and family. I made the decision to go public with my battle, posting my progress on Facebook. The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming and has provided me with a warm blanket of peace and strength. I embarked on a collaborative endeavor that combined painting, photographic images of my tumor cells, printmaking, video and music, in order to create an exhibit that illuminated my experience as an artist and cancer patient. My pathologist at Moffitt, Dr. Marilyn M. Bui, graciously showed me my pathology slides and provided me with the digital images of the tumor histology. She stepped out of the shadows of the lab and made me realize that pathologists are an integral part of the clinical team and are vital to patient care. Through Dr. Bui’s vision of making The Healing Art of Pathology book, she helped me begin my long journey back from cancer. All my experiences as a biology undergraduate student, artist, and cancer patient seemed to coalesce in this project. Hazy memories of biology experiments involving plasmid mobilization and bacterial resistance, forms and shapes that appeared and evolved in my paintings, and the inspiration I gleaned from my time at Moffitt all came into focus and gave my work direction and resolution. This revelation led me to a deep understanding and appreciation of my life and work. I envision my art to be a persistent, visual manifestation of the battle raging within, and a powerful testament of the beauty of hope.