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Photography exhibition shows no limits
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Physically-challenged student displays work in HS Library
June 8, 2009
Mohonasen High School student, Robert Wright, is currently showcasing his art work in the Mohonasen High School library. The exhibition, titled “The Only Limitation is the Imagination,” is a collection of photographs taken through the eyes of a student with disabilities.
"You can tell by his artwork that he gives a
tremendous amount of thought to what he sees around this building,"
high school business education teacher Sue Braiman said at the
opening of the exhibition, which took place on Monday, June 8.
Braiman said Robert was "overjoyed" and "ecstatic" to see his work being displayed.
Robert, 18, is part of EJ Hanley’s Capital Region BOCES class at Mohonasen. Upon entering the school this past September, Robert became part of the yearbook staff and several times a week he takes “photograph walks” to find his subjects.
Robert has no use of his arms or legs and does not have the ability to speak. He communicates with his eyes, nods of his head and an augmentative communication device. To take the photos, he directs his teaching assistant with his body language and eyes to help position him and then captures the image with a camera mounted on his wheelchair.
It was a teacher with Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES (WSWHE) who first identified Robert’s interest in photography. During a session when his classroom teacher was taking pictures with a classroom camera, Robert used his communication device to say, “I want a turn.” His teacher then helped him press the button to take a picture. From there, Robert’s assistive technology teacher looked online for a camera with an input to allow taking pictures with an external switch. Robert’s family purchased this camera and he has been using it ever since.
Through books and videos, Roberts has learned that photographers often have assistants who do much of the physical work of photography and that it is the job of the photographer to visualize the image and to direct the assistants.
View pictures from the opening:
Click on thumbnail to view larger image.
