Research Paper
In The Eye Of The Beholder
Tales Of Disability Art And Able-Bodied Interpretation2025
Summary Research Paper
In The Eye Of The Beholder - Tales Of Disability Art And Able-bodied Interpretation
Disability art delves into the exploration of ideas and realities surrounding the experience of being disabled, contrasting with the abled gaze, which refers to how non-disabled individuals perceive and represent disability and is often informed by ableism. This paper examines the persistent presence of the able-bodied gaze within disability art, exploring how societal perceptions shape the way such works are interpreted.
Within my research paper I examine how disability art and the able-bodied gaze influence each other by taking a look at my own practice as well as disability art practices that have been influential to mine; that of Diane Arbus, Jan Hoek and Frida Kahlo. The text gives an insight into the motivation and execution of these practices as well as the dialogue that these bodies of work have with the non-disabled viewer.
In the introduction I discuss my own motivation for writing this paper, as well as discuss my experience with documenting my own disability for the first time though a project I did in my first year at KABK. This is followed by the part documenting disability through the lens, which discusses the practices of Diane Arbus and Jan Hoek as well as the ethics and recurring discussion on exploitation when it comes to documenting the disabled community. Arbus’s work reinforces an us vs. them dynamic, while Hoek challenges dominant narratives by creating alternative representations. Their comparison underscores the importance of disabled subjects actively participating in their own representation to prevent dehumanization and exploitation.
The last part of the paper entitled experiences and understandings of disability focusses on Frida Kahlo’s practice and that of my own, as well as the accessibility issues disabled artists face and the standing that disability art has within the regular art world. Kahlo’s work and my own practice demonstrate how personal storytelling makes disability experiences more accessible to non-disabled audiences. However, audience reception often dramatizes these narratives or filters them through preconceived notions, revealing the complexities of navigating the able-bodied gaze. While inclusivity in the art world has improved, accessibility remains inconsistent, and disabled artists still face discrimination. Despite this, disability artists and allies persist in amplifying new perspectives, working toward a future where the able-bodied gaze no longer dictates the narrative.
The paper concludes that even though disability art and the able-bodied gaze inform each other in different ways, depending on the artist, viewer and the zeitgeist, the able-bodied gaze is always present - whether disability art reacts to it or tries to create spaces outside of it. However the only way to challenge ableist notions is to keep giving a voice to disability and to continue to fill the world with new perspectives.
In The Eye Of The Beholder - Tales Of Disability Art And Able-bodied Interpretation
Disability art delves into the exploration of ideas and realities surrounding the experience of being disabled, contrasting with the abled gaze, which refers to how non-disabled individuals perceive and represent disability and is often informed by ableism. This paper examines the persistent presence of the able-bodied gaze within disability art, exploring how societal perceptions shape the way such works are interpreted.
Within my research paper I examine how disability art and the able-bodied gaze influence each other by taking a look at my own practice as well as disability art practices that have been influential to mine; that of Diane Arbus, Jan Hoek and Frida Kahlo. The text gives an insight into the motivation and execution of these practices as well as the dialogue that these bodies of work have with the non-disabled viewer.
In the introduction I discuss my own motivation for writing this paper, as well as discuss my experience with documenting my own disability for the first time though a project I did in my first year at KABK. This is followed by the part documenting disability through the lens, which discusses the practices of Diane Arbus and Jan Hoek as well as the ethics and recurring discussion on exploitation when it comes to documenting the disabled community. Arbus’s work reinforces an us vs. them dynamic, while Hoek challenges dominant narratives by creating alternative representations. Their comparison underscores the importance of disabled subjects actively participating in their own representation to prevent dehumanization and exploitation.
The last part of the paper entitled experiences and understandings of disability focusses on Frida Kahlo’s practice and that of my own, as well as the accessibility issues disabled artists face and the standing that disability art has within the regular art world. Kahlo’s work and my own practice demonstrate how personal storytelling makes disability experiences more accessible to non-disabled audiences. However, audience reception often dramatizes these narratives or filters them through preconceived notions, revealing the complexities of navigating the able-bodied gaze. While inclusivity in the art world has improved, accessibility remains inconsistent, and disabled artists still face discrimination. Despite this, disability artists and allies persist in amplifying new perspectives, working toward a future where the able-bodied gaze no longer dictates the narrative.
The paper concludes that even though disability art and the able-bodied gaze inform each other in different ways, depending on the artist, viewer and the zeitgeist, the able-bodied gaze is always present - whether disability art reacts to it or tries to create spaces outside of it. However the only way to challenge ableist notions is to keep giving a voice to disability and to continue to fill the world with new perspectives.