I am Stacie Votaw – “Transforming Oxygen”
In all of my rendezvous with these medical institutions, I have always wondered the same thing about each and every one of them. Why do they all have to be so ugly?
“Transforming Oxygen”, by Stacie Votaw
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in medical facilities. From hospitalizations due to mental illness, to extended and numerous visits to diagnose the heartbreak of ALS, to now, where I have spent the bulk of my healthcare establishment time, nursing homes.
In all of my rendezvous with these medical institutions, I have always wondered the same thing about each and every one of them. Why do they all have to be so ugly?
It’s as if there’s a special medical establishment bland-o-mart where they are required to get their furniture in all shades brown and gray. The art on the walls is all thoughtless, uninteresting, but will definitely match the drab browns and grays of the furniture that is also devoid of tasteful design.
Medical equipment and random carts are strewn throughout the grim hallways with no thought to camouflaging their invasive intent or thought of aesthetics in design to soften their imposing possible threat to your future. It’s as if there is a collective effort to make you feel worse about a place you’re already not thrilled to visit.
When I finally found freedom by gaining independence with my power chair and realized the artistic tools I had at my disposal, I instantly knew that I would start a new series of artwork. Using my assistive technology devices, my Tobii Dynavox eyegaze system and my power chair (whom I call my techno chariot), I would transform the ugly around me and manifest it to match the beauty in my mind. The Tobii allows me the ability to photograph and create the art in a digital painting application. The techno chariot grants me the mobility to explore my humdrum surroundings and discover new subjects to convert from “meh” to extraordinary.
This is my first piece, Oxygen. It was inspired by a set of tanks rolled into a quaint day room, a rare attempt to create a pleasing space to eat lunch. I thought how sad and ugly that they had so haphazardly been rolled in and left to mar the pleasant environment. But then I also saw that they could be used to make something beautiful. And at that moment, what was detracting from an enjoyable experience became something valuable.
I hope you like it. There’s many more to come.
#als #alswarrior #nursinghomelife #wheelchairlife #alsawareness #assistivetechnology
#eyegaze #eyegazeart #painting #digitalpainting #digitalart #artrage #powerchair
