The Phenomenology of Impairment

Abstract

This written research document supports The Phenomenology of Impairment, a mixed media installation consisting of three hundred and sixty-five self-portraits. This work was a part of a phenomenological exercise that combined both art making and writing. Using the five central concepts of the phenomenological method, I was able to uncover a level of meaning in my work that transcended my original intentions. The creation of the work became an enterprise in self-discovery and, through descriptions of my lived experiences and relationships, I was able to uncover the essence of those experiences and relationships.