No matter what limitations an individual experiences in life, one constant remains among us all—the ability to use art to express what lies within.
The Progressive Visions Photo Club, a group of photographers who have Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities, held an artists’ reception on March 7 for their exhibit at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library. Their work will be hanging in the library’s lobby art gallery throughout the month, and each photo tells far more than words could convey about the individual artists behind their creation.
Jim Interlicchio of West Babylon, an activity coordinator for Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State, founded Progressive Visions in 1997. A long-time photographer himself, Interlicchio said that making the art accessible to the individuals he was working with was a great way for them to express themselves.
“The club really started just to make photography accessible. When it started out, I would take people out into neighborhoods and they just took pictures of whatever was of interest to them,” he said. “Over time, it evolved as technology has evolved and more people got interested in it.”
However, Interlicchio noted that due to the physical limitations some of them possessed, workarounds had to be tinkered with in order for them to be able to come to grips with cameras and eventually be able to truly capture the world as they saw it in their mind’s eye.
“Back when I started the club we started with disposable cameras. We slowly progressed from disposable to using Holga cameras, which are like Chinese toy cameras,” he said. “But now tech has progressed to the point where we have ‘adaptive’ cameras now. We can hook a digital camera up to an iPad that runs a specific App…the members of the club can use the touchscreen to control the camera, and we have it set up so that they can take a picture just by touching the screen. It’s really opened up photography to a lot of people that it wasn’t accessible to before.”
Angel Rodriguez of Manhattan has been a member of Progressive Visions for a number of years, and said that he was motivated by his fellow members to work hard at getting better and better at his craft.
“It all started when Jim and I were out one day taking pictures…I took a selfie of myself holding a telephone, and the angle I caught…it was fascinating. That really started everything, and now I’ve even learned how to edit my pictures on the computers, adjust the color and everything,” he said. “I really enjoy photography, especially when I go out in a group and do it…seeing everyone doing their own artwork really inspires me to do mine. It’s such an honor to get to the point where my picture is hanging up for other people to see.”
Leslie Greenberg of Flushing enjoys taking nature photos; at the Progressive Visions exhibit, she was showing off a shot of gorillas lounging in a tree that she took at the Bronx Zoo recently.
“I’ve always liked to take pictures, and when the weather is nice, I like going out with my fellow club members and taking pictures of the outdoors and animals,” she said. “It feels really good to have my picture hanging at the library where people can see. It’s a great feeling.”
David Horshan of Queens is not only dealing with cerebral palsy, but an additional condition that prevents him from going outside during direct daylight. The three pictures he had on display at the library were all taken from the window of his apartment, but despite that limitation, they were nonetheless stunning to say the least.
“Jim helped me set up the camera and with the tools, showed me where they are on the iPad so I could set up the shots and take the pictures,” he said. “Due to my condition, the best time of day for me to take pictures is right before dark, so we would go to the window and get some nice shots at that time or up to the roof of the building.”
The Progressive Visions Photo Club’s exhibit will be on display in the lobby of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library throughout the month of March. In addition, the club will be returning to hold a presentation in the library’s auditorium on March 21, where members of the public will be able to find out more about what they do, as well as see a demonstration of the adaptive camera gear that they make use of.
“Photography is a great tool for someone just to be aware of what’s going on around them,” Interlicchio said. “Their lives, their environments, their neighborhoods…a very positive thing that occurred early on was the response we got from people on the street while we were out snapping shots. Total strangers would pose for pictures, and that connection between folks—people who don’t even know each other—is great.”
To find out more about Progressive Visions, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/progressivevisionsphotoclub.
