Accessing Creative Ability

At times, interacting and communicating with people with intellectual impairments has been considered by some to be too challenging. The lack of interaction and communication causes segregation, alienation and misunderstandings, causing us to ignore the artistic talents of people with intellectual impairments. This, in turn, portrays people with intellectual impairments, or impaired language skills as having no intelligence, no capability to communicate at all. Society thus misses an important and unique opportunity to learn about their culture and nature.

For the most part, dominant society is responsible, either directly or indirectly, for the process of segregation and sets the conditions for possible integration. The non-impaired community often interprets the integration process as a one-way process in which the minority, the impaired community, is expected to integrate, or rather 'fit in' with the dominant culture. Such a conditional and prescriptive process of integration needs to be transformed, allowing everybody to be ‘beings-for-themselves’ rather than ‘beings-for-others’, and thus maintain their uniqueness, identity and culture. Respect for the culture of people with developmental impairments is a condition for change.
“Change can occur when we begin to accept people with developmental challenges as an integral part of our culture, while also constituting a
culture unto themselves.” (Amidei, 1995, p. 1).

Art has the ability to facilitate such an unconditional process of integration. Art, as expression of identity and culture, can guarantee the preservation of that identity and culture. Art as an alternative and parallel form of communication can facilitate necessary dialogue and interaction, without which integration is not complete. In this capacity art can play an active role, and make a positive contribution to the process of integration of people with intellectual disabilities.

Pete Liebenow, Studio Arts Manager at Little City Foundation’s ground-breaking art centre for people with intellectual disabilities in the United States, says:

“Many individuals who are labelled ‘problems’ and who had basically been given up on, and basically just forgotten about, come here and thrive, because they have been given the freedom [of choice]. We try to create an environment where they can go out, do, seek out things, ask questions, and, God forbid, question authority. . . We are trying to break down the client-staff relationship. When that relationship gets broken down, it become a relationship of peers.“ (Baaijens, 1998).

A similar relationship as described by Liebenow exists at Art Compass. The facilitation process is collaborative in nature. Facilitators critically observe how the artists present themselves through their creative process. The facilitator must be able to observe mindfully and see through cultural conditioning by dominant culture, listen beyond learned communication, and not be distracted
by behaviour adopted by those with intellectual impairments to cope in a society that has difficulty accepting difference. Collaborations happen only after intuitive cues have been taken from the artwork.

One thing that is evident when one observes the artists at Art Compass is that they are instantaneously absorbed in the process of creation when provided with art supplies. They seem to have no concern about how to use the art materials, and no hesitation about what to create. Intellectual impairment does not seem to inhibit the participants, rather, it seems to be a condition that allows the artists effortless access to their creative abilities, expressing who they are and articulating their experience of life. Art Compass welcomes you to its inaugural exhibition Until Proven which explores the creative abilities, artistic expressions, and communications of the participating artists.

Marcel Baaijens (M.A. Art Education)

Programme Director
Art Compass
Wellington

18 0ctober 2002
References

Amidei, T. (1995). We’re Nice Guys, But We Mean Business,
White Walls, a journal for language & art, 36.
Baaijens,M.F.P.J. (1998). “This Drawing Looks Intelligent”, Chicago:
Bubble Productions.
Freire, P. (1997). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (20th ed.). NY: Continuum
Henly, D.R. (1987). Art Assessment with the Handicapped: Clinical, Aesthetic
and Ethical Considerations. Art therapy. July 1987, 57-66.
Hevey, D. (1992). The creatures time forgot: photography and disability
imagery. NY: Routledge
Freire, P. (1997). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (20th ed.). NY: Continuum
Kroeber,H.R.Th., van Dongen, H.J. (1997). Mensen met een Handicap en hun
Omgeving. Baarn, The Netherlands: Nelissen B.V.
Timmermans, M. (1994). Ik ben een artiest. Nijkerk,
The Netherlands: Intro.