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Spotlight on Blind Artists
Have
you ever thought about how an artist might feel when she or he has been
told they may go blind? Artists invest more than just time and energy
when painting; they also invest part of themselves and you might think
that, in a highly visual medium, the artist who loses his or her sight
would give up. But many do not. Many devise simple, yet ingenious ways
of changing their style and adapting their whole approach to painting. Painting From a New Perspective
is an RNIB publication about painters who have made the decision to
overcome these problems. It is also for those who are facing them.
Claude
Monet and Eduard Degas both experienced very poor eyesight toward the
end of their lives. We know this because both wrote about its effect on
their painting. Neither artist stopped painting, but their styles
altered. So, how does a person 'carry on painting' when they can't see
very well or even at all? There is no simple answer; it is different
for everybody and depends on various factors:
- The person's original painting style (e.g. planning and layout methods, physical technique etc).
- The medium used (e.g. oil, watercolours, pastels etc).
- The type of eye condition. For instance, some people may have only peripheral vision, others only central.
- The severity of the person's eye condition and fluctuation of
sight levels at different times. A person's vision can be better one
day than another.
- The person's ability to make good use of available light and
to use special optical aids. This can depend on whether or not they
have had good professional support and training.
- And above all, the person's own attitude towards their sight loss and motivation to continue.
Painting From a New Perspective takes the examples
of six artists who have differing eye conditions, differing levels of
sight (including no sight) and different methods of adapting to their
situation. This book is designed to motivate people to continue
painting. You can get a taste by visiting http://info.rnib.org.uk/blindartists, where you'll meet Ian Reynolds, an artist who's been through the process, and find out how he continues to paint.
Not a painter yourself but love art? Ask about audio description technology, often available in museums and galleries.