Chloe Crawford
Mason Gross School of the Arts
Artwork title: Reach New Heights I
acrylic on canvas | 48 x 38 inches
Tell us about the work that you have submitted.
This work uses an image posted online by someone using the screenname “Artificer4”—one of several artists creating digital images of (mainly white) physically disabled women for sexual purposes. The raw canvas at the top indicates where I could no longer reach, as I painted this work from my wheelchair.
How do you describe your work and practice?
My work is about public and private aspects of disability, including access, identity and knowledge. These “reach” paintings explore a performative and perceived helplessness while critiquing the standard height at which artworks in a gallery or museum typically hang.
What motivated you to apply to the AXA Art Prize?
I was motivated to apply because although I don’t often create figurative work, the disabled body is central to my practice. I am always motivated by the desire to make sure disability is represented in every exhibition.
What inspires your work?
Inspiration is a fraught idea for disabled people, as our regular lives are often taken as extraordinary feats of inspiration. Yet in my art practice, working towards a better future for disabled artists is my greatest inspiration, especially for those without the same access to opportunities that I have as a white woman.