CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Through the lens of Blind and Visually Impaired Photographers is an exhibition and concert featuring composer and pianist Daniel Kelly.
Kelly has worked with the Blind Visionaries touring show for more than 15 years and says it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.
“Blind Visionaries is a multi-media performance piece that includes video projections of the stunning images of photography made by a group of blind and visual impaired photographers called the Seeing with Photography Collective,” said Kelly.
The show involves music created by Kelly, pre-recorded audio interviews with the blind and visually impaired photographers and video projections of their images. These images are made by a process called “Light Painting.”
"Where cameras are placed on the tripod the person being photographed is centered in the frame but then the lights are turned off for several minutes and then the photographers take small handheld flashlights and illuminate the subject being photographed, whatever is lit develops on the film," Kelly said.
Many of the photographers could see at one point, so the images are embedded in their mind's eye. It's an opportunity for the public to experience the world as a blind or visually impaired person in the arts.
"It definitely is and what we want to do with this project is to have people experience what it's like to lose your sight and it's a gift to people who are sighted to be able to see this creative work and it's really reaffirming for them to know that their work is being well received and they're participating in the sighted world even though they can't see," Kelly said.
Part of the show includes an actual photography session with an audience member.
You can see the free concert with Kelly’s trio at the Perkinson Center on Friday. The multi-media performance starts at 7:30 p.m. and the gallery exhibition will open at 6 p.m. The exhibition will be on display through January 25.
For more information, visit the center's website.
