Legally blind US artist defies diagnosis and spends 6 months creating giant 'wood burning' artwork
- 4 years ago
Aaron Shafer, a legally blind artist, defies his diagnosis and creates a beautiful "wood burning" artwork, dubbed "The Healing Fire."
Footage, recorded on January 19, shows Aaron using a blow torch to scorch large panels of wood, before the video zooms-out to reveal an intricate and beautiful mountain scene, depicting Oregon's highest mountain Mount Hood.
Aaron is a 29-year-old artist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 2007, when he was 17, Aaron was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, wiping out his central vision. By 2009, he was diagnosed as legally blind.
Aaron told Newsflare: "At that time, I was really diving into artwork, and the diagnosis really shook me.
"It wasn’t long before my condition took my ability to drive. Slowly, it began to take even more: my ability to read most things, recognise faces from further than a few feet away, look directly at the work I was creating, and ultimately, it took away my ambition to pursue fine art altogether."
"The Healing Fire" is a monumental piece for Aaron, who has not created art since 2012.
“For years, my desire to create art from scratch and by hand disappeared. However, several months ago, I began wood burning. Art created using tools and elements that typically destroy. I loved it immediately. Based on its irony alone, I could relate.
"I found the strength to begin an art project and create this piece.
“For more than a decade now, in a way I've felt like I was bottling fire, and I was ready to release it. What I mean by this is everyone experiences some degree of loss. Unfortunately, loss is a part of life. But I believe it is through these difficult experiences that we are given the opportunities to learn some of the most valuable skills in life: how to create from destructive circumstances."
Now, Aaron is optimistic about the future.
“I'm excited to announce that in spring of 2020 I will be having my first fine art show titled "The Healing Fire."
“I would like to use exhibited pieces to increase awareness, and sell them to help fund solutions. There is a ton of work to do, but I have already done the most difficult part: beginning."
Footage, recorded on January 19, shows Aaron using a blow torch to scorch large panels of wood, before the video zooms-out to reveal an intricate and beautiful mountain scene, depicting Oregon's highest mountain Mount Hood.
Aaron is a 29-year-old artist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 2007, when he was 17, Aaron was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, wiping out his central vision. By 2009, he was diagnosed as legally blind.
Aaron told Newsflare: "At that time, I was really diving into artwork, and the diagnosis really shook me.
"It wasn’t long before my condition took my ability to drive. Slowly, it began to take even more: my ability to read most things, recognise faces from further than a few feet away, look directly at the work I was creating, and ultimately, it took away my ambition to pursue fine art altogether."
"The Healing Fire" is a monumental piece for Aaron, who has not created art since 2012.
“For years, my desire to create art from scratch and by hand disappeared. However, several months ago, I began wood burning. Art created using tools and elements that typically destroy. I loved it immediately. Based on its irony alone, I could relate.
"I found the strength to begin an art project and create this piece.
“For more than a decade now, in a way I've felt like I was bottling fire, and I was ready to release it. What I mean by this is everyone experiences some degree of loss. Unfortunately, loss is a part of life. But I believe it is through these difficult experiences that we are given the opportunities to learn some of the most valuable skills in life: how to create from destructive circumstances."
Now, Aaron is optimistic about the future.
“I'm excited to announce that in spring of 2020 I will be having my first fine art show titled "The Healing Fire."
“I would like to use exhibited pieces to increase awareness, and sell them to help fund solutions. There is a ton of work to do, but I have already done the most difficult part: beginning."