“Do You See What I See?” shares ordinary, everyday images that my vision enables me to appreciate from new and varied perspectives. These snapshots offer a glimpse into an individual journey. As is true for much of how I “see” things, little is definitive. Instead, these photographs express moments, ideas, and even questions to hold. It is my hope that as they are viewed by you in this moment, the details of “my” unique story blur into the background, so that the essence of our shared sacred journeys come into focus for consideration.
“Do You See What I See?” first exhibited as part of the University of Vermont’s Disability Awareness Month in 2006. After living for a decade with ebbs and flows in visual acuity that were deemed “legal blindness,” I began to experiment with digital photography. I playfully shared this self-proclaimed rebellion with the Disability Awareness Month coordinator, Laurel Cameron. She worked her magic to present my show at the UVM Living and Learning Gallery.
The experience of living with legal blindness prompted countless conversations around “how” and “what” I am able to see through my eyes. My sense is people associate “blindness” with “darkness.” They then close their eyes and try to imagine how I did what I did. Or, how they would do anything. I experienced total blindness for a brief time before my detached retinas were surgically reattached and some of my vision returned. It was important for people to know that I saw far more than darkness.
Paradoxically, an unexpected gift unfolded from the inner reflection coming forth in aspects of “Do You See What I See?”. I ultimately had the conversation of “how” and “what” I see with myself. I tiptoed into a broader exploration of an essential question, the kind of personal question that is lived rather than answered. I began to ask “What does it mean to see?” I continue to dance with this question today.
The original show contained a total of 20 photographs with accompanying verbal descriptions that were available in Braille, large print, and audio recording. The show was exhibited in several other locations following its debut including at a Vermont Council of the Blind Annual meeting and Candles & Creations in Burlington, Vermont.
Throughout this time, I became increasingly aware that I see with words as well as images particularly as fluctuations in my visual acuity persisted. It seemed natural to add poems to each of the 20 images as yet another doorway of expression and potential understanding. This online exhibit features 20 trios including the photographs, verbal descriptions, and poems all with the same title. I invite you to explore your own questions as you engage with the words and images contained in this show and with the multiple ways they are expressed.