March 22, 2016 - 14:21
I was really fascinated by the ways in which the nature of Kuppers’ writing—the style, the form— can be seen as a mode of protest against the constraints placed on typical scholarly work. She uses her experimentation as a way to “play with the limits of the system” in much the same way as the Olimpias played with the 3D imaging technology in the Telematics Laboratory (7-8). I loved how Kuppers describes her stylistic choices in terms of accessibility: “Multiple entry points and an acknowledgement of active, engaged and desirous reading practices are part of my access strategy,” Kuppers writes (5). Is it is interesting for me, coming from an education perspective, to think about how Kuppers’ writing could serve as a model for creating more accessible classrooms and educational materials. Her introduction demonstrates how ideas can be communicated through an intermingling of different styles, stories, and authors. A text can be instructive even—and especially—if it does not align with the typical norms of academic writing. In inviting the reader “to be active in their navigation of this book,” Kuppers acknowledges her audience’s contribution in shaping the text (5). This mirrors a practice that teachers can enact in their work when they acknowledge and welcome the role of their students in informing the education process and tailoring it to fit their needs. This idea that Kuppers’ work can serve as a model for accessibility practices in a more general sense reminds me of a concept that stuck with me from Invitation to Dance. Towards the end of the film, Linton comments that the Axis dance performances can be viewed as an illustration of what a more accessible/integrated society might look like. I was drawn in by this idea that a dance performance and the community of dancers creating it can be viewed as a microcosm of larger society. Recognizing artistic projects like Kuppers’ writing and the Axis performances as small-scale illustrations of inclusion and accessibility reflects the political, justice-oriented function that art can serve. These pieces are not only creative expressions in themselves, but are also a way to interject new modes of thinking, being, and interacting into normative spaces.