Author: davepickering

‘Moments in Time’, a series of paintings based on remembered cinema moments in time by Edinburgh blind artist Alan McIntyre.

Alan has had a lifelong passion for art until he was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition. He gave up painting for years as he thought that there was no point in trying to continue.

After his diagnosis, however, Alan then joined the local RNIB Hillside art group at Hillside Crescent as a way back into painting. It is a tutored class where you have the freedom to find what kind of art you want to do with support and encouragement from an experienced artist and volunteers.

Alan also attends regular audio described gallery tours of the National Galleries exhibitions in Edinburgh. In conjunction with participating in many exciting tours and events that have been created by ARTLINK Edinburgh & Lothians. Artlink is an arts and disability organisation that encourages and creates opportunities for the participation in the arts for anyone with a disability. (http://www.artlinkedinburgh.co.uk/).

These have all encouraged Alan to restart and continue to make art again. Alan has had photographs exhibited in shows where there were tactile copies of the work alongside the pictures. These images are made from ‘Swell paper’ and have raised lines that can be felt and enjoyed by blind or sighted alike.

Alan said: “I am interested in trying to show art that is more accessible for those with sight problems. We had an audio described tour on mp3 of a show called Hidden Art in Patriothall Gallery. We had presented different photo images of sculptures in Edinburgh which are in the public but can be often forgotten and overlooked as we pass them every day. We also had a very large braille map of Edinburgh that located the sculptures. Interesting that fully sighted visitors could work out where the sculptures were by just seeing the black raised lines of the map as there was no text.”

He has also co-founded the art group VIEW (visually impaired experimental works). This is a project to collaborate with sighted and visually impaired artists. Alan is now registered blind, but still has limited sight which he uses to keep making art.

He went on: “There are very few people who are blind who cannot actually see anything. When I was fully sighted then I would not have had the courage to exhibit art work. I did not paint for years and had taken my sight for granted and should have painted more when my sight was ok. In a strange way I feel that my sight loss, has made me want to challenge myself to work more to show that if you enjoy doing something then don’t let your own negative assumptions control you. Now I only see a continuous chance for experimenting with different textures, materials, processes or ideas to still keep making art.”

Technology helps a lot now and Alan uses accessible technology like an iPhone which has speech to read websites or special speech software on the PC to make his website and keep in touch with friends or to promote his art shows.

“My changing sight makes doing any work like this very time consuming and while technology is helpful. Getting help from a helper at the Hillside art group is always appreciated. Making art is such a satisfying, sometimes frustrating, but overall very rewarding thing to do. I hope that if you have a visual impairment and like to paint or draw then nothing should stop you from enjoying the different audio described tours around the museums or galleries in Edinburgh.  Or from joining an art class like the RNIB. In association with the kind folks at Art Space to let who are a great charity who help new artists. http://www.as2l.org/.

Alan’s work can be viewed in an exhibition at the Embo Cafe on Haddington Place