Sunday, December 06, 2015

Wheelchair Costumes in the Cardboard Art Show

Over the past few years, I've made my son some cardboard costumes for his Quickie2 wheelchair.  There are some advantages to using old boxes for this purpose--lightweight, cheap, easy to find, and easy to cut and spraypaint and puncture and duct-tape. They're pretty much flat, so he doesn't feel enclosed, and they can fit in the back of our minivan.  If he bends or tears any parts, it's not a big deal, we just add more duct-tape or cardboard. They've been fun, he's won some costume contests with them, and they make people smile.

What I wasn't expecting was that they'd find a place as art. The "Steampunk Submarine" costume was in the Opulent Mobility show at Northridge in September, curated by A. Laura Brody, Zeina Baltagi, and Anthony Tusler; we attended the opening reception to show it in action. And now the submarine and the "Rocketship to Jupiter" are in the Cardboard Art Show at Artist & Craftsman Supply in downtown Los Angeles, curated by Madison Girifalco, opening tomorrow:
Photo by Madison Girifalco; faux brick wall next to staircase, with words "The Cardboard Art Show" and several large pieces of cardboard art mounted upon it, including a rocketship and a submarine.