Jerron Herman, Kinetic Light, New York City.
Disabled People: The Voices of Many
Published on Aug 12, 2020
In American Practitioner Jerron Herman, an ‘interdisciplinary artist creating through dance, text and visual storytelling’, poetically describes his practice and perspective.
In three sections; ‘Naming’, ‘Organize’, ‘..and the Holy Ghost’ Herman illuminates the transcendent potential of ‘crip’ performance and community.
In ‘Naming’ Herman describes a dance arrangement with such vivid sensitivity I had the sense I could feel the movement in my own body. Herman goes on to describe ‘clarity and imagination’ as his main considerations in terms of description and demonstrating a commitment to disabled artistry.
Herman considers the physical, sensual and emotional layers of a piece in order to communicate its depth to an audience requiring varied access.
This reminded me of Christine Sun Kim’s film. In it’s depiction of truly inclusive practice, not as art which can be primarily experienced and appreciated by an audience with access to the ‘dominant’ sense needed, with accessibility an afterthought, but, as a practice which becomes richer for it’s multilayered consideration of different senses and modes of consumption.
In ‘Organize’ Herman articulates an oppositional stance to impatience and an expectation of a certain and immediate response. Using his body as a metaphor Herman conveys his commitment to receiving and responding to often well-meaning but pressurising bids for attention and response at his own pace. He illuminates the potential for growth and transcendence in the waiting for the party on the other side of the door.
In ‘..and the Holy Ghost’ Herman describes the artistic, divine and transformational potential of disabled bodies meeting and moving together.
I found this piece of writing moving and thought provoking. In terms of integrating these ideas into my teaching practice, embedding considerations around the consumption of work by a varied audience, is something I will build into my teaching.
I will also endeavour to communicate to students (as well as consider in relation to my own practice) the potential for richer and transcendent work when this multi-layered approach is embedded throughout the development process.