When the Beast Knocks is an artistic project by artist Mister Geez that centers around his experiences with cluster headaches, a debilitating condition characterized by intense, unilateral pain around the eye. As someone who suffers from this condition periodically, he was motivated by a desire to raise awareness and understanding about the Beast by creating a multifaceted artwork that would explore its impact on his life. To bring his vision to life, the artist embarked on a two-cycle project in 2018 and 2021, recording audio notes after each attack and using this data to create datasets that tracked key information about each episode, such as duration, intensity, and location. From these datasets, he created data visualizations that allowed him to identify patterns and gain new insights into his condition. He also created studio photographs of himself re-enacting attacks while playing the audio logs, which were then printed using the cyanotype alternative process to create striking, blue-toned images that contrasted with the harsh reality of the Beast. The resulting artwork offers a unique perspective on this little-understood condition and encourages viewers to engage with its impact on those who suffer from it.

Exhibited at:
– Muxima art space (Bow, London E3, 23rd – 30th March 2022)
– Organisation for the Understanding of Cluster Headache (OUCH) Summer Conference (London School of Economics, 9th July 2023)