Work by visually impaired members of an art group is currently on display at the Higgins Bedford as part of a new exhibition.
The Touch and See group meet at the Bedford Arts and Crafts Centre at Raleigh House off Ampthill Road, led by tutor Shân Edwards.
The group was set up in the early 1980s as part of the Special Adult Learning Programme (SALP) teaching skills including painting, printing, collage, ceramics, weaving and fabric work.
“This is the first year the group has contributed to an external exhibition,” explained Shân, who has led the group for around 10 years, with the support of other artists.
“It is also the first time the Higgins has displayed work by visually impaired artists as part of Disability History Month. All our students come from a variety of backgrounds but close friendships and humour play a bit part in the group.”
Work in the exhibition is by Jill Brockleban, Sue Welch, Elizabeth Lutley and Brian Litchfield and features painting, ceramics and collage.
Jill’s work is based on how she sees the world. “The background is made up of my painted images. The dark “ hole “ in my central vision has bright blue dots of light and sometimes a halo of gold light skirting the edge of my vision.
“Because I have a neurological condition, grotesque clown-like faces march across the view. The world I view is rarely dull!”
Sue has also represented her sight, saying: “My paintings represent the light patterns I see. When I close my eyes, they are more distinctive and on a black background as there is no other light source. I see these shapes repeatedly but they are very fleeting, changing and merging like patterns in a kaleidoscope toy.”
Elizabeth has vision in only one eye and was inspired by pressing flowers. “I wanted to use the pressed flowers but
painting them didn’t give me the result I was after because of my limited vision and so I decided to use them in a collage,” she said.
Brian created ceramic sculptures to represent his impaired sight and “the amorphous visual aspects I experience.”
Made of white clay, Brian said: “The layers represent the structure of the eye (cornea, iris, pupil etc.) and the design concept is a combination of figurative, abstract and psychological thought to create the shape of the forms which explore the complexities of light and dark and reflection and refraction when the ambient light enters the indents and apertures.”
