We posted this inspiring video a few weeks ago in our Facebook page but felt it deserved another look. The video features Southern California-based graffiti artist Tony Quan who is better known to his friends and fans under the alias TEMPTONE.
Quan, since 2003, has been bed-ridden with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease has rendered the use of his arms or legs virtually useless and has left him unable to speak. Due to the severity of his condition, Quan now needs a respirator to breathe. His mind, still as sharp as ever, is now trapped by a body that has succumb to the disease.
The prospect of being trapped in one’s mind is certainly frightening enough but I think it resonates more powerfully in the creative community. One can only imagine the fear and frustration Quan felt as his condition left him unable to get out of bed, let alone roam the streets of L.A. to tag again. This is where the Eyewriter project came in:
The EyeWriter project is an ongoing collaborative research effort to empower people who are suffering from ALS with creative technologies. This international team is working together to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. The long-term goal is to create a professional/social network of software developers, hardware hackers, urban projection artists and ALS patients from around the world who are using local materials and open source research to creatively connect and make eye art.
Here is the video released by the Eyewriter team:
To find out more about the Eyewriter project, visit their website at http://www.eyewriter.org or follow them on Twitter.
Here are some additional images from the project–Enjoy!
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http://www.drakz.com/health/als/2010/01/29/als-stricken-graffiti-artist-tags-again-with-%e2%80%9ceyewriter.html ALS-Stricken Graffiti Artist Tags Again With “Eyewriter … | Health News
