The Wheelchair: Fit, Form and Desire
Hereward College, Coventry

Long shot of the students' exhibitionIn March 2002, students from Coventry’s Hereward College created an exhibition entitled The Wheelchair - Fit, Form and Desire, which was displayed alongside the adorn, Equip exhibition at Rubgy Art Gallery and Museum. The project was created by Karen Johnson, tutor at Hereward College, and was developed by artist Ju Gosling (aka ju90) working in residency with the students. Ju photographed the students at work, and later wrote an essay to accompany this online version of the students' exhibition.

Common themes appeared very quickly as the students developed their work. Students wanted wheelchairs that could be customised to suit different occasions and clothing, rather than having a wheelchair that looked the same on every occasion. They wanted accessories such as bags, telephone pouches etc which looked good, were easy to use, and were appropriate to the occasions. They wanted wheelchairs to incorporate enabling technology for individual users, such as robotic hands, navigation systems that could if necessary be operated by eye movements and so on. And above all they wanted wheelchairs which suited the individual’s fit, form and desire.

Blue bird wheelchair design by Paul Booth, Andrew Glover, Sam Chambers & Mary Russell Bondage wheelchair design by Ashliegh Slater and Helen Bullock
Mavis Ridley's disco cushion and clubbing bag Mavis Ridley's wheelchair bag and cushion
Photographs of the design for the disco cushion and clubbing bag on the wheelchair

(Above) Mavis Ridley's wheelchair bag and cushion
(Above left) Mavis Ridley's disco cushion and clubbing bag
(Left) Photographs of the design on the wheelchair
Decorative wheels by Becky Collins, Bridget Golden, Mavis Ridley & Helen Newman
Decorative wheels by Becky Collins, Bridget Golden, Mavis Ridley & Helen Newman
Decorative wheels by Sheree Goulding and decorative velvet and silver wheelchair cover by Sheree Goulding
Decorative wheels by Sheree Goulding and decorative velvet and silver wheelchair cover by Sheree Goulding
Schematic collective photograph
Schematic collective photograph
Sachin Nayee's graphic wheelchair design
Sachin Nayee's graphic wheelchair design

© The City Gallery, Leicester and the artists: 2001

This site was built by Ju Gosling aka ju90 during an artist's residency at Oriel 31 in November 2001