Closest
This is a painting of my other friend Vivian that I met at camp Green Top, and she went to my high school prom with me. We were dancing together in the “King Gimp” documentary. Oil on canvas 32” X 26,” 1999.
Artwork
“As a person with a disability, I do not rely on technology for personal communication instead my art is my voice. I know my thoughts might be hidden by millions of words, that is why my art is not for decoration, but to start conversations.” — Dan Keplinger
Past
I often get asked about “what if there was a cure, or magic pill to get rid of CP, would you take it?” Of course I always say no, CP is part of my personality. It is the only way of life I know. Although I do believe that when I do go to the other world, it will be my ultimate escape. Oil on canvas 23 X 32,” 2000.
Be Thankful, Obey Me
Everyone sees electric chairs as a tool of freedom, but when you get one it morphs into your body. When your chair needs a charge, or it’s broken, it’s like someone cutting off your feet. Etching on paper, 9.5” X 10.5,” 2002.
Yaaaa
When I use people as my subject, I’d rather take video so I can capture their natural expressions. I feel when you ask people to take pictures [of themselves], their real emotions are locked away. Mixed media on canvas 44” X 22,” 2003.
Ears Up
Most people would think a voice is the only thing needed for communication, but really it takes the whole body. Everyone has trouble talking to me by phone. They say it is because they cannot see my lips. I think it is that when we interact in person my whole body is telling the story. Mixed media on canvas, 22” x 44,” 2003.
500 Quadrillionth Time
I do enjoy sitting outside when the weather is nice, but it does come with a risk since the noise level fluctuates. Outdoor tables are also not the same quality. Somehow the whole table can flip over, and cups end up in my friends’ hands. This skill proved quite handy during a trip through Europe with all its outdoor cafés. Mixed media on canvas 45.5” x 25.5,” 2004.
My Gate Way
This is another portrait of symbols that represent me and a still life of my desk. When I am without my computer or my headstick, I am cut off from the outside world. Oil on canvas 22” X 45,” 2004.
The Dan Turbulence 1
Maybe the best simulation for Cerebral Palsy would be air turbulence when flying through a storm. One should realize your whole body is still moving, there is nothing that can be done to keep nature from taking its course. I am sure this drives all control freaks crazy. When you are a person with a disability, control is always just out of our reach. Mixed media on canvas 45.5” X 45,” 2004.
Just Another Night Out
What would seem to be an ordinary night out for me, wifey, and friends might not be that way to others. This is especially true when we go to new places and need to do recon. My two concerns are the bathrooms and how tight the seating is. Mixed media on canvas 35” X 40,” 2005.
Legs
Most people think if you have legs, you have the freedom to go anywhere. Now that I think about it, I refer to my wheelchair as my legs, and I only talk about the parts on my lower limbs. There will always be limits to where my real and metaphorical legs can take me. Mixed medium on canvas 48” X 60,” 2005.
Nurture
Everyone may see my wheelchair as taking care of me, but it goes both ways. If I do not take care of it, or if I abuse my wheelchair, it will not be around for long. It works as any other relationship; you are rewarded with what you put into it. Photo-lithograph on paper 10” X 8,” 2008.
Good and Evil
There are some situations where I could use my wheelchair to my advantage, but it’s not always ethical. Then there are times when the wheelchair is saying “don’t go down that trail,” and you pay for not listening to it. Photo-lithograph on paper 8” X 10,” 2008.
No
This is my worse nightmare, my wheelchair with an ACC Device. It totally takes over, and my personality goes unseen and I am powerless. Photo-lithograph on paper 8” X 10,” 2008.
My Precious
I love Gollum and how he freaks out when he cannot find his ring. How can an everyday item such as a ring, or wheelchair, have so much power over a person? One does not realize how dependent they are on something until it is gone. Photo-lithograph on paper 8” X 8,” 2008.
Beastly
The eye has a dark side. A hunter remains focused on the trail of its prey. There are many things people pursue: nourishment, lovers, or a goal in life. I am most familiar with the third one since all my life I have been told I cannot do things. That is when I go into beast mode. A beast lives in all of us, but the challenges it harnesses is for productivity. Screen print on paper, 11” X 14,” 2014.
The Window
We have all been in that attic with the window at the end of the room. Out of our peripheral vision we see something flash by the window; most likely a bug. But the unknown creates the fear of being watched. Fear is based on the unknown, and that can be from having an obstructed view of perception, by not being willing to investigate. Screen print on paper, 14” X 11,” 2014.
The Real Fear
Not going to jail but going back to nursing homes and worse. If there will be Medicaid cuts, it will send thousands of PWDs back to live in nursing homes and institutions. This will take away all of our rights and make us treated worse than inmates. Digital Media, 2017.
Bondage of Liberty
Physical bondage is nothing compared to mental bonds, those are the real disabilities that can kill anyone’s soul. The fight to save the ADA and Medicaid may be for physical access, but I view it as the principle of knowing that we are seen as equals in society. When you tell adults where they can live, or limit the places they can go, is that the America we want to live in? Digital Media, 2018.
Awareness VS Activist
For me “My Left Foot,” (1989) was the first CP film that had grit. Another was the film “Water Dance” (1992). These were not activist films nor were they a call to action. The film also explored getting an education, love, and that people with CP did not have a perfect family life. Films like these are meant to increase awareness. The more awareness that is brought to a cause, action will have more urgency on a greater scale. Digital Media 14” x 10.5,” 2020.