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A. Laura Brody
The Kali Walker, 2017
72” x 54” x 42”
Aluminum walker and re-purposed leather and hardware.
Website: www.dreamsbymachine.com/
California, USA
Photo by Heidi Marie Photography
VO by McKerrin Kelly
72” x 54” x 42”
Aluminum walker and re-purposed leather and hardware.
Website: www.dreamsbymachine.com/
California, USA
Photo by Heidi Marie Photography
VO by McKerrin Kelly
ABOUT KALI:
Kali is the Hindu goddess of time and empowerment, and a renowned slayer of demons.
Disability and aging are demonized in our culture as tragedy, weakness, and something to be feared.
Kali in her walker represents a different truth—that time catches up to us all, and that strength and ferocity are not measured by physical ability.
-A. Laura Brody
Disability and aging are demonized in our culture as tragedy, weakness, and something to be feared.
Kali in her walker represents a different truth—that time catches up to us all, and that strength and ferocity are not measured by physical ability.
-A. Laura Brody
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Driven: The Edwardian Cyborg Wheelchair, 2009
45” x 32” x 45”
Nutron Electric wheelchair and re-purposed textiles and hardware.
Photo by Heidi Marie Photography
VO by McKerrin Kelly
45” x 32” x 45”
Nutron Electric wheelchair and re-purposed textiles and hardware.
Photo by Heidi Marie Photography
VO by McKerrin Kelly
ABOUT DRIVEN:
Why should mobility devices not inspire desire?
Driven (2009, refurbished 2013) is the first of A. Laura Brody's Opulent Mobility series, devoted to re-imagining mobility. Driven began as an electric wheelchair donated by a chair-using friend and a dream of re-making wheelchairs as thrones.
-A. Laura Brody
Driven (2009, refurbished 2013) is the first of A. Laura Brody's Opulent Mobility series, devoted to re-imagining mobility. Driven began as an electric wheelchair donated by a chair-using friend and a dream of re-making wheelchairs as thrones.
-A. Laura Brody
ARTIST STATEMENT:
We are all buried treasure.
My works draw from the history of art: the flowing shapes of Art Nouveau, the embellishments of the Victorians and the line quality of Klimt and Schiele. These sculptures are conceived with a commitment to social justice and are inspired by the spirit of scientific discovery. They are meant to encourage conversation and to inspire radical rethinking of the meanings of disability and adaptive aids.
-A. Laura Brody
My works draw from the history of art: the flowing shapes of Art Nouveau, the embellishments of the Victorians and the line quality of Klimt and Schiele. These sculptures are conceived with a commitment to social justice and are inspired by the spirit of scientific discovery. They are meant to encourage conversation and to inspire radical rethinking of the meanings of disability and adaptive aids.
-A. Laura Brody
DESCRIPTIONS:
The Kali Walker is a representation of the Goddess Kali built into a walker.
Kali is positioned in front of the walker. Her face is gray blue, with almond shaped eyes. A third eye, placed vertically, is in her forehead just above a red jewel. Her red tongue sticks out from her red lips. Two of her four legs are bent at the knee and their feet extend beyond the walker’s frame. Her front feet stand on the ground. Three arms extend from each side of her body. Her upper left hand holds a severed head, the lower left holds a bowl lined in deep red, and the upper right hand wields a blood-red scythe. Her fingers end in sharp points.
Her body and limbs are made from irregular shaped leather in browns, black, pale blue, chartreuse, and green with occasional red patches. A narrow belt sits just below her waist, anchoring a fringe of hands and forearms. Fabric dreadlocks form her long hair. She wears a gold flame crown and a necklace of blue and gold beads and blue and white unpolished stones joined by gold rings. The necklace meets between her breasts with a white and black skull from which hangs a dark red tassel.
Kali’s walker is marbleized in blue, gold, and pearl, and has multicolored leather hand rests.
Driven is an electric wheelchair remade into an Edwardian armchair.
The seat back upholstery is black brocade, edged with gold tapestry fabric and gold braid. Its arms are purple velvet trimmed with gold braid and black leather, and the seat cushion is burgundy and black brocade with gold fringe and pearl buttons. A burgundy cord with a large tassel hangs from the control knob on the right. On the left, the arm rest sports a cup holder holding a wine glass. The sides have triangular panels of gold, burgundy and rust tapestry finished with tassels. Hanging under the seat in front is the same fabric as the side panels with thick gold fringe. The foot rests are covered in brown leather, and the power chair wheels are decorated with leather, studs, and pulleys.
The chair back is covered in cloth of silver with black zipper edging. Large springs cover the push handles. Two large silver disks are mounted in back: one near the top and one just above the seat. A black strap and a large washer hang from the lower one. Purple velvet fabric hangs below the seat and is gathered and pushed through the dangling disk.
-audio descriptions by Teri Grossman
Kali is positioned in front of the walker. Her face is gray blue, with almond shaped eyes. A third eye, placed vertically, is in her forehead just above a red jewel. Her red tongue sticks out from her red lips. Two of her four legs are bent at the knee and their feet extend beyond the walker’s frame. Her front feet stand on the ground. Three arms extend from each side of her body. Her upper left hand holds a severed head, the lower left holds a bowl lined in deep red, and the upper right hand wields a blood-red scythe. Her fingers end in sharp points.
Her body and limbs are made from irregular shaped leather in browns, black, pale blue, chartreuse, and green with occasional red patches. A narrow belt sits just below her waist, anchoring a fringe of hands and forearms. Fabric dreadlocks form her long hair. She wears a gold flame crown and a necklace of blue and gold beads and blue and white unpolished stones joined by gold rings. The necklace meets between her breasts with a white and black skull from which hangs a dark red tassel.
Kali’s walker is marbleized in blue, gold, and pearl, and has multicolored leather hand rests.
Driven is an electric wheelchair remade into an Edwardian armchair.
The seat back upholstery is black brocade, edged with gold tapestry fabric and gold braid. Its arms are purple velvet trimmed with gold braid and black leather, and the seat cushion is burgundy and black brocade with gold fringe and pearl buttons. A burgundy cord with a large tassel hangs from the control knob on the right. On the left, the arm rest sports a cup holder holding a wine glass. The sides have triangular panels of gold, burgundy and rust tapestry finished with tassels. Hanging under the seat in front is the same fabric as the side panels with thick gold fringe. The foot rests are covered in brown leather, and the power chair wheels are decorated with leather, studs, and pulleys.
The chair back is covered in cloth of silver with black zipper edging. Large springs cover the push handles. Two large silver disks are mounted in back: one near the top and one just above the seat. A black strap and a large washer hang from the lower one. Purple velvet fabric hangs below the seat and is gathered and pushed through the dangling disk.
-audio descriptions by Teri Grossman
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Opulent Mobility by A. Laura Brody is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
The Opulent Mobility license refers to the exhibit and its audio descriptions. Individual artworks are the property of the individual artists.