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positive pointers<br />
To continue this work, I<br />
often use money generated to<br />
collaborate with amputees on the<br />
development of a piece they own,<br />
in return for being the inspiration<br />
and model for a copy of that limb<br />
to go on public display.<br />
Recently I made a leg for a<br />
beautiful champion pole dancer<br />
– a man in his 50s who I sought<br />
out for a collaboration. Initially<br />
he thought that an alternative<br />
limb might be cumbersome but,<br />
after a conversation, we created a<br />
tattooed leg with a hoof that clips<br />
onto the pole, with a sculpture<br />
on the back that spins as he does,<br />
adding another feature to his<br />
phenomenal performances.<br />
What impact do your<br />
alternative limbs have on<br />
people’s outlooks?<br />
From the beginning, the people<br />
who came to me said they<br />
wanted a limb that would be<br />
seen. One lady I met was born<br />
without her arm just below<br />
her elbow, and she shared how<br />
people might not notice this<br />
as they began a conversation<br />
with her but she would clock<br />
the moment that they did, and<br />
it was awkward. For her, having<br />
an alternative piece was a way of<br />
non-verbalising that difference<br />
while speaking volumes, as she<br />
was actively inviting people to<br />
see her chosen limb.<br />
Another gentleman who lost<br />
his leg while he was in the<br />
military explained how he was<br />
surrounded by amputees when<br />
he was in service, but when<br />
he returned to civilian life that<br />
wasn’t the case, and people stared<br />
at him constantly. We worked<br />
together because he wanted to<br />
give people something to really<br />
look at, in a playful way and one<br />
that was positive for him. After<br />
we fitted his alternative limb, his<br />
whole body stance changed. He<br />
was completely empowered. It<br />
was just incredible to witness.<br />
Find out more at altlimbpro.com<br />
and @thealternativelimbproject<br />
<strong>happiful</strong>.com | September <strong>2021</strong> | 31