The Spark - Blake H.
Description:
The Spark is a reimagining of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, which shows two males extending their arms at the brink of touch. Two hands, one now depicted with a prosthesis, outstretch their fingers in a moment of mutual recognition and intimacy between differently-abled persons.
Significance:
I chose this artifact because it challenges normative body ideals depicted in The Creation of Adam, which is religiously interpreted as God giving life to Adam. This artifact reimagines a work that has historically represented the epitome of divinity, perfection, and the gift of life solely as able-bodied persons. Adam with a hand prosthesis asserts prosthetic limbs as an embraced variation, rather than deviation of human ability, and depicts a sense of intimacy that transcends physical touch. Instead, viewers are shown the desire to connect, to feel the presence of another, and for mutual recognition between complementary persons that transcends ability.
Positionality:
My personal background of Psychology and Race, Gender, & Sexuality Studies research has led to a passion for challenging institutions that uphold exclusionary and oppressive ideals. For example, I have investigated how jurors in a United States court room perceive queer female survivors of sexual assault who also have a substance-abuse disorder. In this context, there’s a narrative of dishonesty and promiscuity forced on the survivors, which alters verdicts and indicates marginalization so deeply embedded within legal institutions. I now challenge religious institutions' presentation of an idealized body, one that has abundantly regarded able-bodied cisgender white males as the standard of divinity and deserving of the gift of life.
Impact:
The gem I’m taking away from this artifact is the importance of creative resistance and intimacy not bound by physicality. Creative resistance within this work shows the power of redefining norms, and begs the question of what more representation can be achieved when reimagining other historically popular works of art. Although this work offers a reimagined representation of the embraced body, it can also be defined in much simpler terms: two people cannot touch each other, yet still radiate such a palpable connection. A connection so deep that viewers witness an exchange of energy in the form of a spark. A degree of intimacy that requires embracing a person's mind, knowing their heart, and trusting their intentions. The type of unapologetic connection that all people deserve.
Wish List:
I hope my artifact inspires viewers to embrace reimagined forms of identity, connection, and intimacy. I implore them to wonder what else can be achieved when new generations add to and reinvent creative expression. Even more so, I want them to think about the power dynamics so inherent to the original depiction of The Creation of Adam, and the historical implications of messaging that depicts an able-bodied cisgender white male as the standard of acceptable life. I invite viewers to choose their own work of art, whether it is a novel or one they have always loved, and reimagine its depiction in a way that challenges the existing message.
Scholarship:
The Spark challenges the normative expression of intimacy between two able-bodied people. People with disabilities are routinely regarded as lacking the desire and agency to experience intimacy with others, and this artifact thwarts this misunderstanding by depicting an interabled connection (Liddiard, 2017). Historically popular works like The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo have played a significant role in the normalization process of ability inviting intimacy, meaning that it has forged a perception of who can “normally” and acceptably express intimate connection (Löfgren-Mårtenson, 2013). The Creation of Adam has asserted able-bodied cisgender white males with premier status since 1512, a status that awards an unapologetic and accepting experience of intimacy to such persons. But in the twenty-first century, full inclusion means access to pleasure for all persons, so The Spark works to instead reimagine mutual recognition and connection as accessible to persons with a disability (Tepper, 2000). Creatively resisting such restricting scripts of who has access to intimacy asserts that rather than a body being regarded as unfit, deviance is instead found in a cultural and societal failure to cherish diversity (Santos & Santos, 2017). While recognizing the importance of ensuring the representation of differently-abled bodies, it’s vital to understand the implications of this work in terms of hypervisibility. Hypervisibility describes what happens when non-normative bodies are no longer rendered invisible, such that now a person’s differences are on display and susceptible to scrutiny by the dominant discourse (Erickson, 2021). The Spark has the potential to yield hypervisibility, which could perpetuate further stigmatized attitudes against people with disabilities. This reality is important to discuss because it calls attention to the ever-persistent nature of the dominant discourse to force conventional models of normalcy, and indicates a need for well-rounded efforts working in tandem with creative resistance to truly achieve social justice.
2 Comments
I have been patiently waiting for the theory part of this artefact to be uploaded because the image is SO intriguing and I want to learn more about its meaning. My initial thoughts, and I am sure many other viewers, when looking at this image were thinking it would depict religion somewhere in the meaning – but that was completely off and it made me appreciate this artefact even more!
This artefact is powerful because it is open to broad interpretations such as intersections of; historical and present-day ideologies, religion and science, homosexuality/subordinate masculinity and heterosexuality/hegemonic masculinity, and of course – disability and sexuality. Well done for being able to incorporate such important topics in one image!
Your use of language also holds great power using symbolism of different meanings. I think my favourite part is where you explain how Adam “asserts prosthetic limbs as an embraced variation, rather than deviation of human ability”. That challenged my thinking with a hit of reality of how people with disabilities are understood as in society.
It is clear to me that this challenging style of writing is a passion of yours, especially in the name of justice and egalitarianism. Thank you for sharing your drive to challenge oppressive institutions, thank you for striving to challenge oppressive institutions, and thank you for creating such a beautiful depiction of challenging oppressive institutions. You are creating greater difference in people’s world, perhaps their galaxies, with this drive of yours.
I appreciate your effort with this artefact because it has had an impact on my perspective and understanding of how influential religion and divinity has had on societies heteronormative and able-bodied ideologies, especially in regards to intimacy and sexuality.
May our galaxies align somewhere in future, where I can see what greatness you have achieved!
This is an incredibly creative idea! I found it incredibly poignant and interesting way that you subverted the understood and expected representations of divinity and perfection, instead embracing diverse identities and abilities. This reimagining challenged the ableist narratives and allows viewers to rethink what the ideal body is. This artifact really shows how art can be used as a form of change, promoting inclusion and accessibility. Your referencing to hypervisibility and how important it is to redefine intimacy beyond the physical is very clear.
Great Job!