Making art, with a difference

RMIT student Prue Stevenson

Prue Stevenson pushes the boundaries with her art and explores her diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD).

Prue’s master studies in fine art have been enabled by a St Vincent de Paul Grant for Students with Disabilities, which gave her access to ClaroRead, a multi-sensory software that supports reading and writing. Here she explains why it meant so much.

“Because my brain is wired differently I’m processing a lot more information, a lot more detail through my sensory perception.

“The software I got through the grant is called ClaroRead. I’m the first student in the whole University to get it. I can highlight words on my computer and the computergenerated voice will speak it. That has helped me so much – it means I’ve been able to properly

research for the first time in my life, which is pretty awesome.

“I’ve got an exhibition in Bundoora. It’s about expending energy out of my body, particularly anger, frustration and anxiety. The artwork is based on taekwondo: I put paint on my foot, and I axe kick the wall and that’s how I paint.

“Another artwork came about from my experiences on trams. When I would get on a tram after uni, I was getting hypersensitive, because there are lots of people and sounds. So I found I had to stim [repetitive movement or sounds that are a symptom of ASD]. People would think I was unwell.

“So I started trying to knit on the tram, and I found that people were getting really excited – they wanted to know what I was making.

“Stimming isn’t socially acceptable, but knitting is – the only difference is that I’m making something, and there’s an object in my hand. So it’s interesting to blur the lines in my art practice.”

St Vincent de Paul The parish congregation of St Carthage’s Church, Parkville has funded the St Vincent de Paul Grant for Students with Disabilities since 2008. The fund helps about 15 students a year with the purchase of assistive technology.