“My Beautiful Friend”
CA: What attracted you to the subject of disability, and specifically, disability and sex?
ID: I have always drawn people, so the fact that I am also a devotee of disabled men means that there was a natural progression from drawing able-bodied men to drawing disabled men. My specific ‘like’ is for paraplegic men, so that’s my favourite subject to draw. I love the beauty of their bodies – the strong and defined arms and shoulders contrasting with the undefined and softer lines of their legs and torsos. There is such beauty there for me, that I want to put that beauty down on paper for others to enjoy. I hope of course, that other people can see what I see, from the perspective of an artist who loves her subject choice.
I have found that the art that’s ‘out there’ doesn’t portray at all what I perceive art about disability and sex to be. It tends to be primarily done by men and usually the subject is female amputees, often in compromising positions. Those pictures give off bad vibes to me personally. My art is not done to objectify disabled men, but to show them as real people, having real relationships and normal sexual interactions with women (or other men, depending on their sexual persuasion), as they do in real life.
Disabled people are so often regarded as asexual or not capable of having normal sexual relationships with other people; I just want to change that. I have always been attracted to disabled men, so I find this view hard to understand, but at the same time, I am aware that it exists. Even if I change just one person’s perceptions about disability and sex, then I am happy. Besides, I enjoy doing these drawings, disabled guys and female devotees enjoy looking at them, and I have lots of volunteers (real disabled men and sometimes their partners too) who want to model for me. Why wouldn’t I carry on drawing them?
“Even if I change just one person’s perceptions about disability and sex, then I am happy.”
CA: Are you particularly interested in portraying specific disabilities or sexualities? Are there any you haven’t yet drawn that you would like to someday?
ID: I draw mostly paraplegic men, partly because I enjoy the imagery of the para body myself and partly because they have formed the bulk of the people who have provided material for me so far. I have one drawing of a low quad and one of a DAK [double-above-the-knee] amputee. They have all volunteered their photographs for me to draw, without any pressure from me and have been happy with the results. I am happy to draw any physical disability that other people would like to see, as long as the picture I am working from has an interesting composition and/or subject matter.
CA: Do you limit yourself to subjects related to disability and sex? What other subjects and themes does your work explore?
ID: I’m primarily a figure and portrait painter, although I do the occasional still life or landscape. They are not my favourite thing to draw though. I just seem to be able to draw people better than trees, apples or cases. I have no idea why.
CA: Do you have anyone in particular who has inspired your art?
ID: David Hockney is my favourite living artist. His style is instantly recognisable and his work is always cutting edge and fresh. But I’m also inspired by the realism, beauty and attention to detail of the Pre-Raphaelite painters (especially Millais), whose paintings could take years to complete. I admire them for their devotion to their art and their patience, which I will never have.
“Incoming”
CA: What do you hope to accomplish through your art?
ID: I just want to change perceptions, one picture at a time. I want to please people. That’s the pleasure I get from my art. To give pleasure to others. Get meaning from it, be educated by it, change your perceptions because of it. But most of all, just enjoy it.
CA: Is there any significance to your signature, which resembles an eye?
ID: The eye signature? No deep meaning there. I love eyes. Eyes are a window to soul. They express so much emotion without words. I can fall in lust with beautiful eyes. I want to draw them and draw them and draw them. How can you not love eyes?!
CA: Where can readers find your art?
ID: My art is posted for public viewing on Wheelerconnect.forums.net (a devotee friendly site for disabled dating and art), Tumblr (posting as InkDevilArt) and DeviantArt, again as InkDevilArt.
I hope you all enjoyed InkDevil’s interview and art as much as I have. Be sure to check out the links above to see even more of her artwork not featured here. She’s actually drawn a beautiful portrait of Kai that I will be revealing soon and may possibly use as the cover for the In/Exhale Season 2 ebook.
I want to thank InkDevil again for sitting down with me to answer some of my inane questions and also for sharing her artwork with all of us. Also, a special thank you to all of her models who enabled these beautiful drawings to exist.
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