Photography Exhibit of Mesothelioma Widows Continues Australian Tour
Breathe, an artistic display of images designed to capture the essence of their husbands through anecdotes told by widows, continues its Australian tour. Developed by photographer Christopher Ireland, 14 women whose husbands died from mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer, posed for the project created to show the “pain of the scourge of asbestos.”
Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, can take up to 50 years to develop after exposure to asbestos has occurred. There is no known cure for the disease.
The fourth leg of the tour which opens February 26th at the Moonah Arts Center in Tasmania, is sponsored by the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), WorkCover Tasmania and the Tasmanian State Government. The AWU is currently campaigning for the removal of asbestos-containing materials in Australia.
“The scourge of asbestos has taken a heavy enough toll on this country already,” said Paul Howes, AWU’s National Secretary, in a September 2009 speech, and called for “the creation of a federal National Asbestos Taskforce to manage the prioritised recall of all asbestos containing materials in all forms from Australia by 2030.”
The current AWU Secretary, Ian Wakefield, is eager to sponsor such a moving and touching exhibit. The exhibit has been featured throughout New South Wales and Victoria since July 2009.
