Disability Arts Online

Tanya Raabe makes her first research visit to Tate Liverpool as part of Revealing Culture:HeadOn

27 January 2010

Photo of Tanya Raabe engaged in making a self-portrait © Tanya Raabe

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Busy Busy Busy....i think I’m running behind myself at the mo! Last week Michele Taylor came to my home studio in Shropshire and posed for her portrait nude. A first for her.

Michele said ‘It was a rare moment of joined-upness for me - body, emotions, intellect all congruent, all out there, all accepted and welcomed.’ I always feel moved as an artist and as a disabled woman when I’m sharing my womanhood, disability experiences and life with like-minded people.

Michele made a great model and it was as if she’d done it all her life, she was very natural as an artists model. It was an honour to draw you Michele, thank you. Michele is posing again for me, clothed this time at Tate Liverpool 5 March, join us then.

I’ve just had my first days research in Tate Liverpool, exploring the artworks in the galleries to discover references to disability culture in mainstream art 20th century. So I’m loitering in the galleries in front of specific artworks that I think have a reference to disability culture and the nude, quizzing the general public as to wat they think of these artworks.

So on my first visit I talked to about ten enquiring minds of Architect students from John Moors University, they were integued by my project and did think that some artworks were strange... most referenced ‘Untitled-Wheelchair’ by Mona Hatoum.... what do you think of this artwork?

I’m in Tate Modern Thursday 28th jan exploring their artworks from a disability perspective... mmm what shall I find?

Sophie Morgan is my next sitter at Tate Modern 29th Jan 10, where I’ve been upgraded to Studio C, among the galleries, why not join us.

I’ll let you know how it goes. Tanya