Photography by the Blind

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

OK, I just got an invitation from the Austrian Embassy to an exhibition they are sponsoring of photographs created by people who are blind.

I've tried to play out ways in which this exhibition might make sense and so far haven't come up with a satisfactory answer.

Am I missing something here?

― H (Heruy), Saturday, 10 May 2003 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

You are missing the vicious, evil sense of humor that has me rolling around in front of my computer at the thought of this.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh I will make sure to post the speech at the opening - till then I want theories as to why this MIGHT make sense (I'm struggling to find some already)

― H (Heruy), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Conceptual art.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Other possibility - only a small number of people who are registered blind can't see anything. FRAUDS!

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry no, not FRAUDS!, that's fine and I guess if you just have impaired vision, then your photography would have a particular quality. Like Turner's late experiments.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Although that may be a myth about Turner, I don't know. Or am I thinking of Monet? Or Seinfeld's dad? Anyway.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

impaied vision = impressionists?

― H (Heruy), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

That is a joke/theory that is often made/held by people, but I have a vague idea that Turner actually was quite blind by the time he died, hence his work becoming more and more impressionistic and abstract. But as I say, it might be a myth.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

monet got pretty blind.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

so far as I know the people in the exhibition are blind, not just legally blind but blind as in no vision at all

possibility re exhibition - maybe somewhat equivalent to sound sculptures - that the person taking picture would post caption to say 'this image represents the sound i heard which ---(it is hard not to use visual imagery)

Look, I'm reaching here. I'm trying to make sense of this and also sympathizing with a friend of mine who had just put together an exhibition of Otto Dix which is getting kicked out for this so he is hitting the roof. I understand his pain but find the whole thing so humorous at the same time.

― H (Heruy), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

RJG is on the Monet.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 10 May 2003 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

There's an interesting randomising element that couldn't be there in pics taken by the sighted. I can imagine it being mildly interesting, but the chances of lots of aesthetic excitement seem slim.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 11 May 2003 09:44 (twenty-two years ago)

There's a film called Proof starring Hugo Weaving and a young Russell Crowe where Weaving is a blind photographer - he takes photos of "moments" and later asks Crowe to describe them to him.

Though how or why this would work as an exhibition is anyone's guess...

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 11 May 2003 09:57 (twenty-two years ago)

it would be more interesting if it was an exhibition of photographs by sighted people, curated by a blind person.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 11 May 2003 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Attended by incontinent people.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 11 May 2003 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

publicised by arthritic people.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 11 May 2003 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Reviewed by inimitable people.

― j.lu (j.lu), Sunday, 11 May 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Burned to the ground by obstreperous people.

― jewelly (jewelly), Sunday, 11 May 2003 14:42 (twenty-two years ago)

(Used obstreperous in a sentence ... Cross that off my list of things to do today ...)

― jewelly (jewelly), Sunday, 11 May 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Austrians are insane. History has proved this.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Sunday, 11 May 2003 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

eleven months pass...

Is it too late... just because photography uses vision as its main sense doesnt mean that vision is it's only sense. With the example of Proof, the photograph can be described to someone through oral communication. Therefore if a person can participate in the end production of photography, can they not be able to produce a photograph as well?

― stu, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 06:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Amazed no one brought up Proof earlier than your post Stu. Great film that.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 06:42 (twenty-one years ago)

This also reminds me of the SNL spoof they did of Nikon adverts when Stevie Wonder was a guest: 'so simple, even *I* could use it!' (cue bad tennis with John Newcombe and a bunch of wonky shots).

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 07:27 (twenty-one years ago)

incidentally, has anyone seen Stevie Wonder's wife?

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:14 (twenty-one years ago)

no but neither has he?

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:17 (twenty-one years ago)

that's how the punchline used to go....

however a rumour was circulated the stevie wonder had had a degree of corrective surgery that allowed him to see vague outlines.

rather than give up the joke, i just made the punchline "he can see a vague outline". it's informative...

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think many people know the true nature of stevie's "blindness."

pete, to thread?

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:25 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.