Weight

The historical social injustice of disability identity creates traumatic experiences from institutionalized biomedical infrastructure. Art on this subject has been long overdue to empower the disabled minority group and to respond through a visual language to these prejudicial misconceptions. Objectification, purification, and perfectibility of the human body will continue to prevail, until art explores the dominant oppressive characterizations associated with sociopolitical cultural discourse on disability identity.

Weight was created to portray legs as heavy weights, simulating the difficulty and pain to walk or move when experiencing polyradiculoneuropathy. I used one inch thick steel at the base, causing the boots to weigh over 20 pounds. Inspired by orthopedic braces for feet, work boots, and Frankenstein’s boots. This type of pain one feels from this condition is invisible and worn on the inside. The steel fabricated boots are lined with brown suede to depict poverty one may face being on disability based income from the condition.