Bell Bronzes: Reflections on a Blind Visual Arts Practice

Abstract

In this article, I reflect upon the issues of beholding participatory multisensory works within the ocularcentric world of the art gallery. The sonic and haptic engagement demanded by my pieces confronts conventions of behaviour in the reception of so-called 'visual art', particularly the kind of aesthetic distancing expected of the autonomous artwork. While such notions of autonomy have been challenged since the 1960s, the curatorial challenges posed by my work reminds us of how far we have to go to cater for a truly inclusive and embodied experience of art.