READ & Inappropriate Braille

The READ Project used homophones, Braille, monochromatic embroidery, bookworks that were inserted into libraries and special collections and branded clothing to highlight the complexity of attempting to explain a sensory or learning disability to a non-disabled person. READ project was inspired by the stupidity of photocopied, unreadable or inappropriately placed Braille heath and safety warnings in buildings and on public transportation. Having grown up profoundly deaf, such encounters added fuel to Molloy’s long standing contemplation of attitudes and actions of society towards those with disabilities.

 

‘Having grown up deaf but being able to hear gives one a unique perspective, which for me, raises interesting philosophical and social questions. Because of this and my dyslexia I was a also late learning to read; properly learning to read. Adaptive computer technologies taught me to read and understand at the same time, it taught me to love books and effected my understanding of what knowledge was and how it could shape one. There are commonalities and differences of experience with all disabilities. The READ project aimed to allows lexic audience to experience Dyslexia in some small way.’

 

Inappropriate Braille 2009, was inspired by yet more photocopied braille. This time not on a Virgin Media Train, but Kingston University, Canada. A far less subtle intellectual investigation this project took on a Douglas Adams feel inspired project that combines upscale and unusable Braille (and sometimes Esperanto  translations), in combination with

visually based sayings such as:

 

‘Your so fucking beautiful’ 

‘Look at the spots on that one”

 

Safety signs 

‘Danger high voltage’

‘Mind the Gap’

‘Exit’

‘The washing of hands stops the spread of germs and saves lives’ 

 

Armchair philosophy 

‘I am therefore I sublimate’ 

‘Love is blind’

 

In 2014 this lead to the third langage based body of work, Project Babelfish