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Art has provided me the opportunity to act as a political and social practitioner, representing aspects of my disability. Being disabled in society lends me a perspective on the experiences of marginalization, exclusion and forms of oppression.
This series of self-portraits represents the physical, psychological and emotional weight sight loss has had on my life. The intent of this work is not only to illustrate physical vision loss, but also an inner journey involving my fears and emotions about becoming totally blind. This is a journey towards infinite darkness in which physical sight is diminished and obscured but artistic vision, my blind vision, is enhanced. I use the experience of blindness to expand my conceptual expression within the visual realm. "Blind Vision" illustrates a synergy of the physical experience framed within the context of a metaphysical journey to form a unique vision beyond sight.
The Blind Vision photographs have drawn much attention, spawning articles and art exhibitions worldwide. Some of the most notable exhibitions are Transformations (2006), Renascence (2007) and the Shift (2011), exhibitions at The Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington DC. In Sight Unseen at the California Museum of Photography - featuring the work of 12 blind photographers -- on tour internationally since 2009; In Blind at the Museum Berkeley Art Museum; Echoes, Krakow Poland, In FUNDACION ONCE Biennial of Contemporary Art, Madrid Spain, In Perugia Photo Festival, Center of Contemporary Art Palazzo Penna, Perugia Italy. Numerous showings at Photo Los Angeles. Numerous exhibitions at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art; Blind Vision has also been featured in numerous articles including The Los Angeles Times (2009); the New York Times Lens Blog, Better Photography Magazine and has been included in the text book "Reframing Photography: Theory and Practice" published February 2011; The Blind Vision work was also the subject of two documentary video's Obscura by Damon Stea and The Blind Imagination by Taylor Adam Swift. In 2012 I appeared on national television, CNN's, Fredricka Whitfield show, highlighting my photographs and advocacy. Various prints from this gallery are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the California Museum of Photography and the National AIDS Museum.
I hope you are inspired by your tour through this gallery. If you are interested in acquiring prints for your permanent collection or would like to exhibit this work, please contact me at: kurt@kurtweston.com . I also have a stunning hard cover, limited-edition book available entitled "Losing the Light." Please inquire about purchasing a signed copy.