CREATIVITY AMONG VISUAL ARTISTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS: AN ANALYSIS THROUGH PIERRE BOURDIEU’S THEORY OF SOCIAL PRACTICE
Keywords:
Disability, visual art, Pierre Bourdieu, perception, sociology.Abstract
This study examines the creative practices of four visually impaired artists working at the Teratai Bali Foundation in Denpasar, utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice as the analytical framework. This research employs a qualitative approach with a case study design, integrating in-depth interviews, observations of artistic processes, and visual analysis of artworks. The findings indicate that while the artists demonstrate diverse visual styles, two recurring tendencies emerge: the predominance of visual memory in forming initial sketches and the exploration of texture through fingers as the primary tool for applying color. The practice of “seeing through touch” suggests that the body functions simultaneously as a mechanism of artistic production and aesthetic evaluation. This study contributes to the discourse on disability aesthetics by demonstrating that visually impaired artists’ visual art practices are diverse and profoundly embodied, while also challenging the dominance of vision as the basis for aesthetic legitimacy in visual art.
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