The Birth of Opulent Mobility

"I got interested in assistive technology after a partner had a stroke. I was fascinated by the devices, but was shocked at their impersonal ugliness. With the help of a wheelchair-using friend, I turned an old Nutron R51 chair into an Edwardian throne (Driven) and Opulent Mobility was born.

After making my next piece (Le Flaneur) I struggled to find places to show my work. Many galleries, at least the ones open to emerging artists, are not wheelchair accessible. In spite of the good work of the ADA, a lot of places aren't access friendly. After discovering how hard it was to make my sculptures safe and functional, I did some research about wheelchair and walker designs. There are quite a few patents online for imaginative and innovative assistive technology devices.

Almost none of those designs are available for sale on the market.

It was clear that this problem was larger than I thought. I decided to curate group exhibits dealing with the subject. Maybe I could find kindred spirits, fellow artists and people who could help me maneuver the tricky paths of medical licensing and make these fabulous devices a reality. At the very least it would get people talking about the subject.

Sharing this exhibit and these ideas is the best way I know to get that conversation started. After all, we have to be able to see the possibilities before we know we want them."

A. Laura Brody

Who is Opulent Mobility For?

Opulent Mobility is for wheelchair and walker users. It's also for people who don't see or hear well. It's for people using prosthetic limbs, crutches, canes and hearing aids. It's for all of us who could use a little help, and want that help to have style.
Making our world more personal and accessible benefits us all.
Consider:
-In the next 20 years, 80 million people in the United States will reach retirement age.
-Many of us are living longer lives than ever before.
-We haven't discovered a cure for many diseases that affect mobility. And we sure don't have a cure for aging.
-Personalizing recovery wards and hospital rooms is proven to have health benefits. It's not much of a stretch to apply that knowledge to assistive tech.
-Our environment affects our health and well-being, both mental and physical. We know this. Advertisers have used this information for years to sell things to us.
-If we are fortunate enough to live through injuries, diseases (both common and uncommon) and the effects of aging, we will all need the help of assistive technology.

Couldn't we all use a little help?

A. Laura Brody's Mobility Art

multiple views of Driven, a wheelchair done up as an Edwardian throne
Photo by Heidi Marie Photography
Multiple views of Le Flaneur, a walker dressed as a mobile Victorian bath house
Photo by Heidi Marie Photography
Multiple views of The Jazzy Peacock Scooter, a mobility scooter dressed as an Art Nouveau peacock
Photo by Heidi Marie Photography
"My fascination with assistive technology started with the awkwardness and embarrassment I felt when I first met and worked with disabled people who later became my friends and my outrage when others ignored or overlooked them. Seeing good friends struggle with strokes, diabetes, MS and brain tumors showed me how fragile bodily ability and health can be. My own issues with tendinitis, accidents, posture and pain brought into focus what it could mean to lose use of my hands- the tools that make my livelihood possible.

I see room for improvement in the way our society designs for and deals with mobility, disability and accessibility. True communication between ADA administrators and business owners, artists and inventors, medical licensing people and wheelchair/walker/prosthetic users is necessary to make these improvements a reality. So… let’s talk about mobility, disability and accessibility.
Together we can find a better way."

A. Laura Brody
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The Opulent Mobility license refers to the exhibit and its audio descriptions. Individual artworks are the property of the individual artists.