Transitions
Transitions (2024) was a collaborative multimedia project developed with a group of low-vision veterans living with progressive neurological conditions through the VISOR program at the VA. Over a video call, they shared personal imagery, reflections, and lived experiences that informed the work. I listened deeply, gathered their stories, and shaped those conversations into layered visual compositions.
The veterans guided the direction of the piece, offering feedback throughout the process. Their voices and perspectives shaped every decision. Each figure and form in Transitions reflects their emotional journeys—grappling with change, identity, and the quiet resilience required to navigate life after service while living with ongoing medical challenges.
Blending digital abstraction, portraiture, and community-centered storytelling, Transitions became more than an artwork. It was an act of shared creation—a project made with veterans, not about them—rooted in dignity, trust, and the experiences they chose to reveal.
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**Script for the Artwork Narration of “Transitions” **
[Opening music fades in softly, a tone of reflection]
**Narrator (calm, compassionate tone):**
Look closely at this powerful image. You see the faces and bodies of veterans, strong yet weary, sitting side by side. These are the faces of those who have given so much for their country. But today, this piece is not about the battles fought on distant shores. It’s about the battles faced every day here at home.
In the foreground, a veteran sits with their head bowed, deep in thought. Perhaps reflecting on the journey, both during service and afterward. Surrounding this veteran are others, each carrying their own weight and walking their own path through life with low vision, degenerative disabilities, and the challenges that come with them.
These veterans are not just symbols of strength but also of resilience. Their bodies may bear scars, and their sight may have dimmed, but their spirit shines as brightly as ever. They have learned to navigate a world that sometimes feels distant and unfamiliar, yet they find ways to cope and rise each day with strength and determination. Their resilience is not just admirable but also inspiring, showing us all that no obstacle is insurmountable.
In this piece, the soft light and shadows reveal their stories. They have leaned on one another in times of need, offering a hand, a word, a reminder that they are not alone. The bonds they forged in uniform remain unbreakable as they navigate this new battlefield—a battle against the limitations imposed by their bodies.
But look closer. See how the sun filters through the scene, bathing them in warmth and hope. That light stands for their enduring hope, the inner strength that keeps them moving forward. These veterans are not just survivors—they are thrivers. Each one has found ways to adapt, innovate, and rebuild their lives in ways that inspire others. Their enduring hope and inner strength are not just remarkable, but also uplifting, showing us all that even in the darkest of times, there is always a glimmer of light.
This artwork, like their journey, is layered—blending past and present, hardship and resilience, struggle and victory. It is a testament to their courage and ability to find beauty and purpose, even when the path ahead is unclear.
As you reflect on this piece, take a moment to honor their strength. These veterans show us all what it means to endure, overcome, and rise again.
[Closing music swells gently, then fades out]
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Art and Written Narrative by: Diana de Avila
Narrated by: TOWSLEY
Music: "Damaged" by TOWSLEY