Notions of the visible and the invisible: visualising the otherness of women with invisible (gynaecological) illness

The invisible gynaecological condition, Endometriosis, is mostly viewed from a distorted frame of reference and with a negative connotation, influenced by societal factors such as expectations of the female body, misperceptions of illness and the way in which women are visually represented. Although a life-altering condition, acknowledging its many complexities is what is sought in honest representation of such lived experiences, exposing the visible and invisible, emic and etic perspectives. This written exchange between visual arts and design researcher, Bruce Cadle and designer-illustrator Micaela Scholtz, lays bare the facts and critically analyses the motivation for and influences incipient in visual research that expresses the lived experience of Endometriosis. The intention is to dispel the myths surrounding expectations of the female body and the lived realities of enduring invisible illness. This paper addresses aspects of the politics of health and the social understanding thereof, whilst emphasising the visualisation of illness through visual narrative methods and the autoethnographic voice. Essential to this research is that the visualisations of Endometriosis juxtapose the perceived/lived reality dichotomy intent on provoking understanding, empathic connection and opportunity for broader conversations onward.