Dear Reader,
Today I attemped to document the difficult terrain around campus. The ground surrounding the Arts Building (although easily over looked by the able bodied) is extremely difficult to navigate from a wheelchair. The ground is uneven with pot holes and dips disguised by the herringbone pattern of the brick.
Taking full advantage of reading week and the almost vacant building, I decided to finally do some photography. I tried to capture a few of the obstacles I must face each day, using my 3D printed little Alice.
I started by photographing the lift that has often broken down or gotten stuck (particularly last academic year). I also photographed the doors at the main entrance too, as they often don’t open (this is an onging problem).
I am very reliant on these means of access to get to my studio space.
I then moved to the outdoors and began documenting the outside difficulties.
Whilst documenting the outside, I noticed it was difficult to capture the undulations. Although I could clearly see each dip and crevice with my eyes, my camera seemed to flatten things out. I was left with a 2D representation of a 3D problem. After consulting with the technicians, I decided to try video. This was a good exercise as I am planning to delve further into this medium later in the year.
I started videoing the courtyard by holding my phone low to the ground as I was being pushed along. This was successful as it not only captured some of the bumps but it also picked up the sound really well. I then decided that I wanted to tackle some of the more uneven ground, but to avoid unnecessary pain, I taped my phone to the wheelchair and sat myself safely on a bench. My study support assistant then wheeled my chair about, taking in the rocky terrain as well as the speed bumps.
I had made little Alice with the full intention of capturing her like this last term but due to her taking so long to print and the difficulty capturing all the detail in her wheelchair I never got round to it. Its given me a bit of a creative rush being able to photograph my 3D printed self at last! I hope to make another version this academic year. This time I hope to be able to capture all of the detail in my wheelchair, as I don’t feel complete without it.
