« Flamenco! | Main | Embracing Unpredictability – Life Among Black Swans »
Without Limits – Disabled Artists Challenge Convention
By Neil Peterson | December 23, 2009
‘Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.’
- Terry Josephson
The output of any artist is a highly personalized mix of elements – talents (both innate and developed), mastery of technique, distinct world view and their reaction to limitations. It is what makes art compelling and worthwhile, that one artist presented with an apple can produce a vivid, realistic painting while another could interpret the object with a simple melody or percussive rhythm. We look to them to translate our world – even though their personal situation may be a world apart from ours, their creations are willing to tell a story if we linger long enough and put forth the effort of understanding. Of disabled artists, their creations take on another color – by challenging conventional notions of ability, they ask more of us. For understanding and connection, but also to remember that the extraordinary is achievable – for them as much as for ourselves.
Chuck Close | American Painter, Photographer
Chuck Close was already an established star on the American Contemporary art scene when a catastrophic spinal artery collapse confined him to a wheelchair in 1988. His early, large-scale works displayed his mastery of a technique referred to as super-realism, in which finished paintings are so detailed as to trick the eye, attaining a near-photographic quality. Following his health crisis, Close continued to paint using a brush strapped to his wrist and the aid of studio assistants to create his larger-than-life pieces. Although no longer able to produce the finely-detailed pieces he was once known for, he has embraced new techniques in his recent work – including complex photographic processes and the traditional art of tapestry.
Dale Chihuly | Slovak American Glass Sculptor
After a near-fatal automobile accident left him without the use of his left eye, Seattle-based artist Dale Chihuly continued to create extraordinary glass sculptures for installation in cities around the world. Although he would later lose the use of his shoulder – resulting in his no longer being able to perform the physical tasks necessary to blow glass – he would instead rely on a cadre of skilled craftsmen to translate his artistic vision into reality. Chihuly credits his physical limitations for his artistic growth – feeling that by not participating in the process, he is freed to approach each piece from a wider perspective. Or as he aptly describes it, being ‘more choreographer than dancer’.
Andrea Bocelli | Italian Singer, Composer
Tenor Andrea Bocelli is one of the music world’s most celebrated performers – having sold over 70 million albums worldwide and considered by many to be one of the greatest singers to have ever lived. Blind since the age of 12, Bocelli turned to music as comfort – building upon his early interest in the piano. Exalted for his vocal talents, Bocelli is also a skilled instrumentalist – playing flute, saxophone, trumpet, drums and several stringed instruments. Today his work encompasses numerous musical genres as he annually performs classic operatic works as well as chart-topping duets with contemporary artists.
Andrea Bocelli
These artists have enjoyed worldwide success while surmounting significant physical limitations – and in the process reminded an audience of millions of how beautiful the world can be, no matter how challenging the circumstances from which we view it.
Related Posts
- Fighting on Two Fronts – Mariette Hartley’s Struggle with ADHD and Bipolar Disorder
- Temple Grandin’s Guided Tour of the Autistic Mind
- Savants – Islands of Genius, Continents of Hope
Share this Post
Topics: General, Inspiration, Overcoming disabilities | 2 Comments »
December 25th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
About Chihuly…. he is NOT Slovak American. He is Jewish American His Grand parents came in 1890. From Austria(slovakia was part of Austro-Hungerian Empire
About Andrea Bochelly….. He Is NOT one of the gratest tenors. He is a good italian singer,but not a best one.
Sorry,but you are wrong
January 17th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Galina, I have to disagree. According to Wikipedia, Chihuly is ‘a Slovak American glass sculptor and entrepreneur.’
Link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_chihuly
Also, re:Bocelli (sp. NOT Bochelly), you’re stating an opinion, not a fact. Just as 70 million records sold is an indication of a widely held opinion that he is ‘considered by many to be one of the greatest singers to have ever lived.’