Motion Disabled

Motion Disabled is a digital exploration of the bodies - the biological pathologies - of people who are physically different. The work makes use of motion capture, a technique more commonly associated with feature films and computer games, along with 3D animation to create a kinetic connection with the human form - beautiful everyday movements highlighting all the intricacies and uniqueness of each person's physicality. 

It was created by recording the physical movements of fourteen physically impaired people with conditions, such as Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy and Brittle Bones, who had their actions captured - their physical signatures in 3D digitised forever. Dr Paul Darke of Wolverhampton's Outside Centre was the first motion capture study. Following a ten-month production period, Motion Disabled was first exhibited in 2009 at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and has since gone on to be exhibited nationally in London, Leeds, Manchester and the Houses of Parliament as well as internationally in South Korea, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and other locations including the prestigious Smithsonian International Gallery - Washington D.C. USA, in an exhibition organised by VSA, where it was viewed by over 700,000 visitors over three months.

Motion Disabled was exhibited simultaneously and globally in 17 countries and 25 locations on the 3rd of December 2010. Promoted by VSA of Washington D.C. USA and DadaFest International the events were seen by many thousands of people as well as being covered by news media including the BBC. Mckeown was named Artist of Year by DaDaFest International 2010.

In 2013 Motion Disabled was presented at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art which is located in Prague in the Czech Republic featuring in the groundbreaking exhibition, Disabled by Normality, which attempted to reveal and problematise the terms normality and disability in the manner in which our notions of them affect the lives of all of us. 

In 2018 Motion Disabled was showcased at the UK Governments Great Exhibition of the North, in Newcastle upon Tyne alongside other northern artists including David Hockney and Damien Hirst. 

Originally supported by The Wellcome Trust, Arts Council England and Teesside University - Motion Disabled continues to grow and be exhibited exponentially.