SHAPE 2017 TateExchange Book FINAL Draft - Flipbook - Page 20
from a clear descriptive practice and from the arts side. However, not many
of these audio describers seem to be acknowledged; often organisations
stay with who they know rather than thinking about the quality of the
service they are offering to their visually impaired visitors.
Lesson to be learnt: get a variety of audio describers for different artistic
styles; get some new blood in there!
Visually Impaired Artists Doing it Themselves
A number of visually impaired artists use audio description within their own
practice. They absolutely understand the necessity of making the artworks
accessible; understanding the process, use of materials, composition etc
and can articulate this to their audience.
Whilst constructing my own large wall drawings (made with pinned
ropes, tapes and other materials), I create them as a performance piece
where audio description is part of the process. This means the creation
of the drawings is the actual artwork and the remnant is the wall drawing
itself. The audio description I perform whilst pinning/taping images
of movement (e.g. runners or cyclists), concentrates on how and why
I’m creating the artwork. How I try to get the most movement with the
minimum of lines/pins on the rope. Why movement is important to the
drawings and my practice. Why I’ve chosen certain materials. Why my
construction process is unusual because of my sight loss. How I calculate
the angles, length of lines to make the drawings. Why I don’t make realistic
interpretations but strive to capture the essense of the artwork.
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