Artist's statement:
THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING
I chose to appropriate Vermeer’s painting ‘The Girl With the Pearl Earring’
By appropriating Vermeer’s artwork I aimed to identify myself as an artist and jewellery designer.
Sitting in the studio in front of the camera was a challenge.
I felt a sense of vulnerability and came to the realisation that the feeling of being viewed or judged is a bigger part of my identity as a quadriplegic than I had previously admitted.
Fighting against the reality of being powerless in many different circumstances is both an internal and external struggle that plays an important part in who I am.
I fight against the notion that the wheelchair defines my identity as I don’t want to feel limited by my disability.
On another level I identified with Vermeer’s work as a quadriplegic because I am unable to regulate my body temperature, & it is common for me to wrap my head in scarves as I only feel & regulate temperature in my head & neck.
Temperature control plays an important role in my life & the lives of many other quadriplegics.
It is an invisible issue that alters the way we live and interact with others. Being unable to regulate my own body temperature is sometimes dangerous but mostly it is just inconvenient as it interrupts my day to day life.
When it is cold my muscles tighten & instead of feeling cold I feel pain which directly alters my ability to move & my overall mood.
Lack of temperature control is also a social impairment as on cold days you will often find me with scarves wrapped around my head or even a blanket over my entire head making going out in public or having visitors uncomfortable.
- Cobie
THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING
I chose to appropriate Vermeer’s painting ‘The Girl With the Pearl Earring’
By appropriating Vermeer’s artwork I aimed to identify myself as an artist and jewellery designer.
Sitting in the studio in front of the camera was a challenge.
I felt a sense of vulnerability and came to the realisation that the feeling of being viewed or judged is a bigger part of my identity as a quadriplegic than I had previously admitted.
Fighting against the reality of being powerless in many different circumstances is both an internal and external struggle that plays an important part in who I am.
I fight against the notion that the wheelchair defines my identity as I don’t want to feel limited by my disability.
On another level I identified with Vermeer’s work as a quadriplegic because I am unable to regulate my body temperature, & it is common for me to wrap my head in scarves as I only feel & regulate temperature in my head & neck.
Temperature control plays an important role in my life & the lives of many other quadriplegics.
It is an invisible issue that alters the way we live and interact with others. Being unable to regulate my own body temperature is sometimes dangerous but mostly it is just inconvenient as it interrupts my day to day life.
When it is cold my muscles tighten & instead of feeling cold I feel pain which directly alters my ability to move & my overall mood.
Lack of temperature control is also a social impairment as on cold days you will often find me with scarves wrapped around my head or even a blanket over my entire head making going out in public or having visitors uncomfortable.
- Cobie