Shooting Blind: Photographs By The Visually Impaired [Hardcover]

Edward Hoagland (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2005

Shooting Blind: Photographs by the Visually Impaired is the first large-scale project by the Seeing with Photography Collective, a group that has been active in New York City for over fifteen years. With sight impairments ranging from partial to complete blindness, SWP photographers use cameras to explore the world and better understand themselves, while creating hauntingly beautiful works of art. Interviews with the photographers accompany these richly surreal photographs. When the artists were asked why they choose to make photographs, their replies were as varied as the images themselves: to see the world more clearly, to understand vision and how it is translated into the language of photography, to develop pride in succeeding at a seemingly impossible task.

"The poignant portraits in this book are a celebration of life. You will marvel at the outcome of this photographic experiment, especially if you take the time to meditate on the expressions on the faces of the subjects."

--"The 25 Best Books of 2002," THE Magazine

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Aperture expands its fine reputation with this unique work by photographers from New York at the Seeing with Photography collective, which has been active for over 15 years. Members have varying degrees of sight; one, for instance, says that she sees sunlight and fog. Using a Polaroid to create images by "painting with light" that is, with flashlights these artists produce work that is startlingly original and creative. Their hope is that through this work the sighted will both learn to appreciate their vision and become aware of the talents and self-expression of those whose vision is limited. The images are high-quality, mostly full-page portraits staged with intriguing backgrounds to represent the personality of each photographer. Throughout, faces are often highlighted. The interviews with the photographers add insight into their character and photographic goals, as do the brief biographies and portraits of the artists. The text is in large, easily legible print. Highly recommended for photography, special education, and general collections. Lynetta Alexander, Tennessee State Univ., Nashville
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"For the last fifteen years, the energetic group has been making use of tactile and audio markers, flashlights, and long exposure periods in order to create portraits and experimental images on film. In still lifes, portraiture, and nightscapes, Shooting Blind externalizes these artists' inner vision--the result of artistic collaboration, creative invention, and a deep understanding of the behavior of light on form." --DoubleTake

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Aperture; 1 edition (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0893819948
• ISBN-13: 978-0893819941
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,950,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sound of the 'Silence', September 4, 2002

By 

wong kai yu (Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shooting Blind: Photographs By The Visually Impaired (Hardcover)

My eyes went wet when I browse through the striking images printed in "Shooting Blind: Photographs by the Visually Impaired". These unpretentious and sensual portraitures knock me down like a hammer strike. My colleagues ask me (I showed them the publication) if the blind photograhers could see their end products and I told him this does not really matter and we should treat the images as a gift to us (those who can really 'see'?!), a gift which could lead us thinking the meaning and the quest of seeing. These images are amazing graces!

For decades our so called Art World and mainstream Art History merely focus upon 'sophisticated' works and have neglected voices from minorities. The institutionalization of Art (with a capital A) by museum, gallery, collectors, curators and academics have buried the original essential nature of perceptual
experience and creative will.

I treat the photographers in this book a violate act up against the stagnated world. I truly hope the publisher Aperture or other Art dealers not to give a price tag to these honest images and leave them away from the fateful destinations and genres of Postmodern Photography.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seeing in a new light, January 3, 2003

By 

Arlene Romoff (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shooting Blind: Photographs By The Visually Impaired (Hardcover)

"Shooting Blind" is a fascinating photographic study, as all the contributors are visually impaired. Accompanying interviews with the photographers indicate that many of them wanted to represent how they see the world - an impression of what it is like to experience a vision loss. They've accomplished this admirably by using an innovative flashlight technique, creating eerie light and shadows. This photographic technique is interesting in its own right, and its usage in the photographs can also be viewed purely as art, with no compelling need to know about the photographer's vision loss. One particularly magical photo is that of a violinist, with light and mist rising from the instrument, giving it an ethereal mystical quality, almost allowing the viewer to see the music flowing from the violin. "Shooting Blind" had a profound effect on me - allowing me to enter the world of people who are visually impaired, while at the same time making me realize that art doesn't have to be bound by our own limitations.