Blindsight- Climb Every Mountain?

At the Chicago premier of the 2006 documentary film Blindsight I was reminded of Werner Herzog's The Land of Silence and Darknes (1971), on the work of German deaf- blind activist Fini Straubinger. It's disheartening to note the lack of substantive documentaries on blindness to follow Herzog's first feature length production. And Herzog can still be recognized as one of the first directors outside of the disability rights movement to cast actual disabled people in his films (as opposed to coddled Hollywood directors/ actors cloying grabs for Oscar nominations with their touching portrayals of disabled people's lives- a.k.a. the "Blackface" of Ableism). So, just in time and in the spirit of the season, here's my take on the new documentary film.

Blind people are no strangers to strories of overcoming- something producer Sybil Robson- Orr and director Lucy Walker (Devil's Playground) are certainly conscious of in their treatment of extreme sports enthusiast Erik Weihenmayer's bold concept for the film. Responding to an invitation to speak at Braille Without Borders following his historic climb to the top of Mount Everest (Weihenmayer is the first blind man to claim that distinction), Erik encouraged a group of six blind teens from the school to join him on an expedition to climb a 23,000 foot peak. Perhaps the biggest problem with the film is its surplus of "firsts" competing for attention: Braille Without Borders is the first school for the blind in Tibet, where, prior to its founding by Sabriye Tenberken in 1998, blind children were shunned and denied access to education. The word "zhara," meaning blind idiot, is a common slur in the region despite the unusally high number of blind people living in Tibet.

Rejected by the German peace corps because of her blindness, Sabriye traveled on horseback to the outlying villages of Lhasa on her own to recruit students to attend school. In its short ten year history Braille Without Borders has expanded to include a massage therapy training program and a working farm in addition to offering traditional academics, Braille and Orientation and Mobility classes.. Many students undergo a process called "self- integration" wherein they enter the general school system. The school now operates under the leadership of BWB graduate Kyila, one of the students featured in the film.

It is against these dramatic backstories that the teens' thrilling climbing expedition unfolds. As the team begins training exercises each student is paired with an experienced mountaineering guide . Erik coaches the teens on alternative techniques like walking with two staffs on rugged terrain as opposed to the white canes normally used for mobility. Sabriye voices her concerns about common dangers such as altitude sickness but ultimately consents, hoping for a memorable learning experience for her students.

For me the most interesting passages in the film took place in the kids' homes where parents' reactions to the expedition subtly and succinctly reveal truths about family dynamics and the diverse attitudes towards blindness found in Tibetan culture. One father recounts the day that smoke from fish frying on the fire seemed to aggrevate his daughters' vision, adding that he knows that her vision had likely already been affected prior to the incident. Another parent casually jokes with his son that, of the 200 annually reported climbing accidents, "you'll be the one to fall off the mountain."

A couple of summers ago, I worked with blind teens at a training center in Colorado where rock climbing are popular confidence- and trust- building exercises. I carry a lavalier keychain to remind me of that summer in which I scaled a sheer cliff or two of my own- literally. Rock climbing is a great tactile sport when combined with good training in responsible alternative techniques. I can tell you that the ropes and harnesses supporting one's weight in case of a mistep (or grab) are reassuringly thick. It's a sport requiring teamwork, trust, guts and a respect for others' natural strengths and limits. It also challenges you to live in the moment in a way that few activities can.

That said, Blindsight is a film that examines hubris and acceptance in equal parts, and the personalities of Erik and Sabriye are well- suited to the task of examining our complex relationships to each. Tension plays out most vividly during the climb itself as the western- trained mountaineers and Sabriye debate the true measure of a successful expedition, brining to light the underlyuing cultural differences between the American adventurers and Tibetan teens. It's reasonable to add that blind people need not "climb every mountain" in order to acheive self- confidence, particularly in a country already having to contend with things like nationalist oppression, poverty and foreign influence.

Braille Without Borders is itself a western import, though ultimately a valuable one for the people of Tibet. According to the producer in a Q&A following the Chicago screening, the school now has to issue vision tests as its popularity has grown to entice sighted applicants.

Learn more about Braille Without Borders and how to support their efforts in Tibet and India. More information on the film can be found at blindsightthemovie.com.

My Touch Lecture's Available from College Art Association

In February I had the pleasure of giving a talk on contemporary dis/ abled artists who explore the sense of touch in their work. I now have a copy of the panel discussion on cd for anyone interested in the topic. Maybe if I'm feeling ambitious I can figure out how to put it up on the blog. You'll get to hear me stammering away about the minor offenses of Derrida, the intrigues of Judith Butler and the awesomeness of artitsts Catheine Sherwood, Sandy Yi, Stepehn Lapthisophon and me. You might even be able to hear the old school chook- choocks of a slide projector in the background!

In Search of Vision's Body: the Role of Touch in the Practice of Painting and Architecture can be purchased online, along with the entire catalogue of events from the 2008 College Art Association Conference in Dallas. Be sure to check out my co- panelists and organizers Sanda Iliescu, Thomas Berding, Phoebe Crisman, Nathan Coleman and Derek Brueckner.

The Texture of Cyclops and Supernovas

I'm rereading a passage from James Elkins's chapter on blindness in The Object Stares Back. This piece was really important to me as an undergrad painter. It opens with this surprising observation.

Because we cannot see what we do not understand or use or identify with we see very little of the world- only the small pieces that are useful and harmless.

This statement had an odd impact on me at the time, perhaps it was the weight of 500 years of ocularcentricism lifting from my shoulders. Artists definitely pick and choose what themes will be central to their work though the single- mindedness of their choices aren't always harmless. In their own lifetimes, painterly obsessions are often treated as professional liabilites. I'm reminded of a 19th century critic's snippy comment about J. M. W. Turner's "cyclops-" those exuberant globs of yellow ochre and cadmium red suns stamped like a wax seal on his canvases.

When I was younger looking at reproductions of Turner's paintings I'd wonder, what's with all the seascapes? Turner's work isn't meant for remote viewing; standing in front of one of these paintings is the best way to explore physical evidence of the gestures that first ignited the chemical surf.

Painting has everything to do with residue, films, sheens, traces and other forms of pigmentary reffuse. Now that we're well into the second decade of digital imaging and with more than a century of photographic processes behind us, I'd argue that this textural alchemy is what makes painting great.

In Blindness Elkins' attention turns to the stars themselves when describing vision's remarkable exclusivity:

Perhaps ordinary vision is less like a brightly lit sky with one blinding spot in it than like the night sky filled with stars. He asserts that vision is immensely troubled. Sight is not merely partial blindness or selective seeing but a determinate trading of blindness and insights. I couldn't agree more, and I appreciate it when he positions blindness firmly in the physiological sense of the word. At least he recognizes that blindness exists on a continuum with vision; at one end is 20/20 vision, at the other, total blindness. Most of us (including most blind people) occupy a space on the bell curve falling somewhere between these two coordinates.

Jennifer Justice, Works on Paper on View Now in Denver

My work is on view at VSAC in Denver. Hope some of you will head on over to this unique exhibit.

It's All About Touch
A juried show of tactile artwork from across the country. This show is all about artwork that is accessible through the sense of touch. National and local artists have contributed pieces to make this a memorable show including Ann Cunningham, Paul Bouchard, Jennifer Justice, Tina Blatter, Pam Cooke, Naomi Marrow and special musical guest – Eddie Salcido.

Featured Artist: Michael Naranjo is a recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award from the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Mr. Naranjo has pieces of work in the collections of the Vatican, the White House, and Phoenix’s Heard Museum.

Opening Night Reception, Friday, October 19: Close Your Eyes and Open Your Mind. The entire gallery will be darkened so patrons can experience the art tactually. Hosted by The National Federation of the Blind of Denver and the Colorado Center for the Blind with food provided by Little India.

Family Art Day, Saturday, October 27, 11am-1pm: Making your own tactile art, Ann Cunningham, author and nationally know tactile artist, and Pam Cooke will lead this workshop. Free and open to the public.

First Friday, November 2, 6-9pm: Hosted by The National Federation of the Blind of Denver and the Colorado Center for the Blind with food provided by Jose’s Restaurant. Special Musical Guest: Eddie Salcido.

Gallery Talk, Wednesday, November 7, 11:00am-1:00pm: A workshop for educators, arts administrators and designers facilitated by experts in the field Ann Cunningham and Buna Dahal on how to make shows more accessible for people who are blind or have visual impairment. Space is limited so please rsvp to vsaco@earthlink.net.

I'm Blogging at [With-tv]

Check it out- a cable channel tuned in to the disabled community! Read their mission statement here and add your support by signing the guestbook. Here's what I wrote:

As a person with a disability, I have aways been accutely aware of the
exclusion of people with disabilities from mainstream media outlets- their
stories, their images, their say in the production of culture. This opportunity
is long over due and eagerly anticipated!

Many leaders in the disability rights community have already pledged their support. The project is in its early stages, so audience support, participation and influence is crucial to future successes. Influence the scope and flavor of programming!

Let's add our images, our voices, our politics, our creativity and ideas to the cultural lexicon and amplify our presence! If you care about the arts and wish to shape the course of disability entertainment/ culture do so today by showing your support and spreading the word!

Unsicht Unseen

Today I received an email from a friend whose working in Germany. He wanted to know if I'd like to dine at Unsicht- Bar in Berlin during my vacation, scheduled for late fall. For some reason, I'd thought this restaurant was located in the UK- perhaps their is one like it there. I believe there's one located on the west coast too- owned and operated by a blind chef if my memory serves.

By "like it" I mean a restaurant with a truly unique twist. Patrons dine in total darkness, experiencing elegant three- and- four course meals served by blind/ visually impaired waiters.

Unsicht- Bar (meaning invisible or unseeable) has locations in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne and should not be confused with Blindekuh (the Blind Cow), a restaurant with locations in Zurich and Basel. According to Wikipedia, Blindekuh was established by the Swiss- German Blind- Leicht Foundation to create employment opportunities for blind people in the food service industry. The name comes from the German equivalent of Blind Man's Bluff. I've yet to translate the German language press releases about Unsicht- Bar to determine if it too is a Blind- Leicht project. Obviously this is a story which begs more research and a first- hand account (I love it when research involves food)!

The Unsicht- Bar website explains that table settings are arranged to coordinate to the numbers on a clock face. Fair enough, I can see how this might help the uninitiated sighted person to navigate their first meal in the dark. The site also notes that the food is prepared in bite- sized portions so that visitors don't have to worry about cutting their food!

As someone with a vision impairment, I find this consideration amusing as well as a wee bit troubling. It reminded me of a meal at a friend's house when I was nine. My friend's mom made us lunch. Setting the plate in front of me, she picked a knife and began cutting the food for me! We tried to laugh it off- my friend had certainly eaten with me enough to know I could cut my own food. But her mom made an assumption based on damaging misconceptions of what blind/ visually impaired people are thought to be able to do.

I remember her mom getting really embarrassed and hurriedly saying something like, "Oh I'm so used to cutting other people's food, I don't know when to stop!" My friend offered that she still tried to cut up her food too sometimes, but it was a weak cover up.

I'm quite sure I could cut a steak or debone a fish without looking. But then, I've relied on my sense of touch much longer than Unsicht- Bar's sited patrons. For me, touch has always been an integral component and allie to seeing. For years I thought that everyone linked sight to touch like I did, that if you love art and aesthetics then you're a sensualist to boot. I now know that isn't necessarily the case. Perhaps Unsicht's boneless/ knifeless policy is nothing more than a bit of hand- holding intended for ambivalent guests, the clock face analogy extended to touch- phobic foodies who want to know exactly what they're putting in their mouths.

It just so happens that Eastern Europe is flecked with diamonds- in- the- rough tourist attractions of particular interest to PWDs and "With-" minded folk. Other sites on my Hit List: the Kasper Hauser Museum in Ansbach, Germany for a peak into a decidedly intriguing passage in the history of early specialized education. Too bad I won't be there in time for the festival held in Hauser's honor each September.

I'm beginning to think that Ansbach just may be my spiritual home, as their other major attraction is none other than the extravagant Rococo Festival held in July. I'll take any excuse to dress up in skirts and big hair! I am a southern girl at heart.

[Visual description: A double portrait of Kasper Hauser in bronze or possibly iron, stands in a cobble stone square. The figure in the foreground has a disheveled appearance and stands with head cast downward. He holds a battered satchel in one hand and a letter in the other. The companion figure in the background is poised and finely dressed. His hat lies on the ground at his feet, as if knocked off or lost in some unseen disturbance.]

Cross- posted at [With-tv]

Calls for Artists

The Austin, Texas Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind is partnering with the Umlauf Sculpture Garden to promote blindness awareness in the community. This fall they will be presenting a temporary exhibition of the work of blind sculptors and are currently accepting submissions.

The hope is to have pieces to put up by September 23, or at the latest, October 7, 2007.

If you would be interested in having your work shown, or if you know a blind sculptor that might be interested, please contact me at thisislivingzine@gmail.com for more details.

This Is Living Zine Launch! Celebrating 17th Anniversary of the ADA

If you happen to be in the Chicago Loop this week, be sure to stop by the Thompson Center at Clark and Lake for an exhbitit celebrating the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Take home a complimentary copy of my new zine This Is Living, where I recount the adventures of a disability rights activist embedded deep within the social service ghetto. Also on display- works by artists from the Little City Foundation, Espiranza and sculpture by Steve Handschu. I'll be hanging out for a few hours on the 19th so come by, rock out to the R&B cover band and show your support!

Coming to the pages of TIL this winter: Ernesto shows us how to survive a brain injury with flair, I compile my list of the best disability flicks (films on disability- you do the semantics) of all time- send me your recommendations! Plus, highlights from the kickass disability community to be had online! Notes on all that glitters, twitches, rocks, rolls, limps, stutters and blogs!

Walker Hall of Fame #1

The best breakup story EVER Artists Marina Abromavic and Ulay walked the Great Wall of China, each journeying 2000 kilometers just to say goodbye.








More Marina!