A thought-provoking examination of art history through the lens of disability studies
Disability studies intersect with art history in Art & Abilities, the third volume in the Art & series from the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art. This book invites readers to rethink physical and cognitive disabilities not as deficits but as diverse ways of being human that can spark radical aesthetic innovation. Contributors investigate how physical mobility, sensory differences, and neurodiversity shape both creative processes and the spaces they inhabit. Spanning subjects from an ancient Sanskrit treatise to Impressionism to modern architectural and typographic design, the essays shift attention from individual impairment toward communal care and multisensory engagement. Continuing the Art & tradition of innovative book design, this volume incorporates endpapers and bookmarks designed by New Zealand-based artist Pelenakeke Brown—weaving keystroke patterns together with traditional Indigenous Samoan concepts, the design is attuned to complex, relational identities.
Drawing on new research from emerging and established voices in the field, this book

• Offers an exciting collection of global perspectives on art history and disability studies
• Highlights how mobility and sensory differences can shape richly different perspectives and aesthetic outcomes
• Reframes creativity as inherent to all bodies and minds

Distributed for the National Gallery of Art, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts