Dear reader,
I’ve had this image sat in my sketchbook for a long time now.
This magazine cover for Interview really struck a chord with me as it is representative of the trivialisation of disablement, describing the chair as a fashion accessory. For those with a need for a wheelchair it represents their independence, it is not a prop for the able bodied.
There is a lack of representation of disability in all art forms, so this representation is damaging to the disabled community.
The hypersexualisation of the model posing in a wheelchair could be viewed as a shock tactic. However, if the model was a hypersexualised disabled woman this would be seen as unacceptable. Those with disabilities are often not viewed as sexual-beings but as child-like and needing care.
A spokesman for Interview magazine defended the photograph in the following statement:
“The Kylie Jenner cover by Steven Klein, which references the British artist Allen Jones, is a part of this tradition, placing Kylie in a variety of positions of power and control and exploring her image as an object of vast media scrutiny. Throughout the Art Issue, we celebrate a variety of women who are both the creators and subjects of their artistic work, and the Kylie feature aims to unpack Kylie’s status as both engineer of her image and object of attention. Our intention was to create a powerful set of pictures that get people thinking about image and creative expression, including the set with the wheelchair. But our intention was certainly not to offend anyone”
Unlike Kylie’s questionable photoshoot that claims to be a statement of power, I cannot help but compare it to photograph of dancer and choreographer Alice Sheppard. Power is being comfortable in your own skin and pushing your limitations. Although any photograph can be deemed as creative expression, it is difficult to understand why a beautiful able bodied person, such as Kylie Jenner, needs a wheelchair to express themselves.
Alice Sheppard is a wheelchair user who has uses her chair as an extension of her body when dancing. Her wheelchair, is more than an aid, it is part of her identity. She creates art with it. This is true creative expression. She draws on her own experience of being black, disabled and queer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjLRPVnmY30
