Introduction
The dynamics of engagement with visual arts have undergone a profound shift in recent years. While live museum visits remain a primary way for people to experience visual art, the prevalence of electronic media as a platform for visual art consumption has surged.
This shift, accelerated by the pandemic, underscores the imperative of understanding and harnessing the potential of digital platforms for artistic expression and accessibility. Statistics reveal that since pandemic restrictions were lifted, the proportion of individuals visiting physical art venues annually still stands at approximately half of those engaging with visual art in digital formats, regardless of how the works were initially conceived (Ateca-Amestoy & Castiglione, 2023).
In this digital landscape, alternative text (alt text) and image descriptions emerge as indispensable tools for ensuring the accessibility of digital visual art.
Throughout this project, alt text and image description were considered together as accessibility elements for blind people and people with low vision who may use screen readers and magnifiers, and for anyone else who could benefit from a text-based description of visual elements on a digital platform.
That noted, alt text and image descriptions each have a unique purpose.
Alt Text
- Textual explanation of an image
- Appear on screen visually only when the image fails to load
- Accessible to those using screen readers
- Brief, limit to 150 characters
Image Descriptions
- Describe the image in more detail as well as enhancing it by providing additional information such as background, context, and relevance
- Displayed on screen as captions
- Available to both sighted and non-sighted users
- No formal length limits
(California State University Northridge Universal Design Centre, n.d.; Surface Impression, 2022)
Existing guidelines for alt text and image description prioritize efficiency and clarity for users. Recommendations from organizations such as WordPress, UX Collective, universities and academic institutions, as well as seasoned web content creators emphasize description, specificity, precision, objectivity, and brevity (California State University Northridge Universal Design Centre, n.d.; Chen, 2020; Harvard University Digital Accessibility Services, 2024; Surface Impression, 2022; WebAIM, 2024).
Some have created tools and recommendations to help web content creators. These include guidelines such as including the “who, what, where and when” of the image (Surface Impression, 2022) or incorporating “object-action-context” information (Chen, 2020).
None of these approaches specifically address alt text and image description practices for visual arts, and few consider the potential of these textual elements to enhance artistic expression.
The goal of this project was two fold:
- to explore the potential of alt text and image description to enhance artistic expression through a mixed-media approach combining creative visual work, self-reflective writing, and the interpretation and creation of alt text and image descriptions;
- to draw out some observations of how the experience impacted and influenced my creative process and/or altered and expanded my artistic expression and reading of works, and what the implications might be for alt text and image description more generally.
Methodology
The project employed a mixed-method approach that used both my creative visual work and self-reflective writing with alt text and image descriptions to draw out observations on how the experience impacted and influenced my creative process and/or altered and expanded my artistic expression and reading of works.
It consisted of two parts:
Part I: Artworks from Alt Text and Image Descriptions
- Create three drawings/paintings based only on alt text and image description prompts of images on the Worlding Difference Knowledge Platform that I have not previously seen.
- Rewrite the alt text and image description for the newly created works in my own words.
Part II: Alt Text and Image Descriptions With and Without Context Information
- Write alt text and image descriptions for three images of art works that are unknown to me without completing any research about the artist, context, materials etc.
- Rewrite the alt text and image descriptions for the same works after completing research about the artist, medium, exhibitions, title, etc.
Outcome
The results of the process aligned with many findings in the academic literature while also generating specific insights and considerations for artists and curators.
Specifically, translating visual works into alt text and image descriptions offers visual artists a unique opportunity to articulate their work verbally and shift into a poetic or storytelling mode that encourages self-reflection on the visual elements of their art beyond the elements of intentionality and theory typically addressed within artists’ statements.
Secondly, effectively translating visual works into alt text and image descriptions necessitates formal knowledge of visual art terminology, styles, and history. While avoiding formalistic jargon or over-determining the work, alt text and image descriptions should describe the work in artistic terms with reference (where appropriate) to the canon of visual art, respecting the reader’s potential knowledge.
This can be revelatory for the artist and opens opportunities for curatorial input.
My conclusions find further support in the academic literature on alt text and image description. For example, in their Alt Text as Poetry Project, Coklyat and Finnegan (2022) outline a series of exercises designed to reveal the poetic potential inherent in image descriptions.
The exercises include tasks in which participants generate and compare lists of nouns and adjectives to associate with a single image, as well as activities that emphasize context by having participants write alt text descriptions of an image for both a stranger and a close friend.
Similarly, the study “Understanding Visual Arts Experiences of Blind People” by Li et al. (2023) found that while blind people and people with low vision sometimes prefer descriptions provided by friends, family, and docents, such descriptions frequently include subjective opinions, which can limit opportunities to form independent interpretations.
Additionally, friends, family, and docents may lack the skills necessary to describe visual elements such as shape, line, and color, and often fail to incorporate references to other visual art, concepts, and information.
My hope with this project was to underscore the salience of these points for everyone involved in the creation of alt text and image descriptions of visual art, and particularly for those involved in the arts community.
The following sections include artworks and corresponding alt text and image descriptions that I created for Parts I and II, together with the point-by-point reflection on each image, illustrating how these conclusions were derived.
Part I: Artworks from Alt Text and Image Descriptions
Image 1
Alt Text
A painting of two creatures flying against a black sky.
Image Description
Against a deep blue and black sky, two creatures are flying by, one appearing to chase the other. The creature being chased is caught in the light of a bright moon sinking on the horizon. The creature in the foreground is surrounded by many speech bubbles, each repeating the word “NO”.
Before opening the images below, take a moment to picture the image based on the alt text and image description.
Original art
My interpretation
Alt Text: An image of a painting of two creatures flying against a moonlit sky
Image Description: An acrylic painting by Justyna Janik measuring 12” x 12” x 1.5” depicts two moth-like creatures in flight, one seemingly in pursuit of the other. The creature being chased is illuminated by the light of a setting moon against a deep blue and black sky. The foreground features the chasing creature surrounded by numerous speech bubbles, each containing the word ‘NO’.
Reflections
Alt Text/Image Description as Poetry:
- The use of the open-ended term “creature” in the alt text and image description provided offered significant creative freedom, which I found highly enjoyable. Had the term been “monster,” my imagination might have taken a different direction. This underscores the poetic potential of open-ended terms like “creature” in alt text and image descriptions.
- Upon seeing the visual depiction of the creatures, their ambiguity persisted, allowing for diverse associations and interpretations. This highlights the point of affording individuals relying on alt text or image descriptions similar opportunity for interpretative freedom.
- The creatures I envisioned differed significantly from the original, illustrating two vastly different interpretations of the term. Although I described them as “moth-like” in my alt text and image description, I did not focus extensively on details. This again provides the alt text or image description reader ample space for imagination and interpretation.
Visual Art Terms & Formal Knowledge:
- While the term “creature” allows for imaginative interpretation, it provides the reader with significantly less information than what is available to the viewer, particularly given that the original artworks depict these “creatures” with considerable detail. The artist has endowed them with intricate visual characteristics, including the colors white, yellow, pink, and purple. The creature in the background resembles a ball of intestines with three hands emerging from it, while the one in the foreground appears as a severed trunk with tentacles extending from three prongs, rendered in a colored line drawing. Moreover, it is unclear if the creatures are chasing or reaching towards one another. Lastly each has a tree in its background that appears lit by small white lights.
- Additionally, while the alt text indicated that the image was a painting, it omitted critical details regarding the medium, size, style, and mark-making. Although this omission allowed for interpretative freedom, it also made it challenging to discern the original artist’s approach and the mood of the work. In the context of visual art, the “how” is as significant as the “what” in understanding the artist’s intentions.
- In composing the alt text and image description for my own work, I made a similar oversight. Although I included details about the image’s size and medium, I neglected to describe its colors, shapes, tones, lines, brush strokes, and style. This omission is particularly noticeable when contrasting the two works.
- The importance of stylistic choices in conveying an image’s mood and meaning becomes evident when considering the distinct approaches in the two works. I believe that the process of writing alt text and image descriptions can be valuable for artists, prompting them to reflect on their stylistic decisions—choices that are often assumed to be self-evident within the artistic process but are integral to the work’s overall expression.
Furthermore, curators who are exceptionally skilled in verbalizing the “how” of an artwork and assessing its effectiveness, could significantly contribute to the quality of alt text and image description descriptions.
Image 2
Alt Text
An illustration of a dreaming woman.
Image Description
An illustration of a sleeping woman with curly, pink hair and light brown skin. She is dreaming, with multiple thought and speech bubbles floating like clouds above her head. One of her hands is open and a red rose rests on her palm. To the left of the image in a blue panel are symbols of fire, a melting glacier, and a rain cloud.
Before opening the images below, take a moment to picture the image based on the alt text and image description.
Original art
My interpretation
Alt Text: An image of a painting of a dreaming woman.
Image Description: An acrylic painting measuring 12” x 16” x 1.5” depicts a sleeping woman with curly, pink hair and light brown skin. She appears to be dreaming, with multiple thought and speech bubbles floating like clouds above her head. She lies on her right side, with her left hand supporting her head and her right forearm extended in front of her, holding a red rose in her palm. To the left of the image, in a blue panel, are symbols of fire, a melting glacier, and a rain cloud.
Reflections
Alt Text/Image Description as Poetry:
- The alt text and image description provided a very detailed description of the image’s composition. I found this particularly challenging during the creation process, as it felt like a collection of disparate elements forced together on a single canvas rather than a cohesive composition. My mind could envision the individual pieces, but not the whole.
- As a result, the woman’s sleeping position seemed to take on significant importance for me, as if determining it would bring all the elements together. Consequently, I spent considerable time describing it in my own alt text and image description, yet once again, I failed to describe how the image was rendered.
- Unlike the first image, the image description for this work felt more restrictive. While the parts were clearly defined, the reasoning behind their arrangement, and the way they were rendered, remained unclear.
Visual Art Terms & Formal Knowledge:
- Despite the drastically different styles, I found that the images produced by me and the original artist were compositionally very similar. However, the stylistic differences were significant, largely due to the absence of descriptions regarding medium, style, and mark-making in the alt text and image description.
- The term “illustration” in the original alt text and image description presented a challenge. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an illustration is “something that serves to illustrate such as a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive, or an example or instance that helps make something clear.” I initially expected “illustration” to imply a specific medium, but the term itself does not suggest one.
- Additionally, I was unclear about what the “illustration” was intended to illustrate in terms of context or concept. The only inference I could draw was that the image should clearly represent its subjects and objects without being obscured by elaborate mark-making, since its purpose was to illustrate rather than complicate the idea. As a result, I adopted a highly representational style and used the same medium as before.
- This approach is, in fact, drastically different from the original work, representing the primary distinction between the two pieces. While my piece is rendered in a representational style using acrylics (also not mentioned in my alt text or image description), the original is a digital drawing characterized by more vibrant colors and simplified shapes and lines.
- This experience highlights the importance of including descriptions of mediums and styles in alt text and image descriptions for visual art. Such descriptions are crucial for conveying the mood and intention of the work, elements that cannot be fully communicated through a mere description of the composition.
Image 3
Alt Text
An illustration of a mountain range.
Image Description
An illustration of a mountain range in purple, tan and pink, with a stand of evergreen trees in the bottom left corner.
Before opening the images below, take a moment to picture the image based on the alt text and image description.
Original art
My interpretation
Alt Text: An image of a painting of a mountain range.
Image Description: An acrylic painting measuring 12” x 16” x 1.5” depicts a rocky mountain range in shades of purple, tan, and pink set against a stormy blue sky. A stand of evergreen trees occupies the bottom left corner.
Reflections
Alt Text/Image Description as Poetry:
- In this instance, the alt text and image description felt restrictive. Unlike the first image, where the term “creature” allowed for open-ended interpretation, the absence of similarly generative terms limited me to specific objects such as “mountain range,” “evergreen trees,” and the colors purple, tan, and pink.
- I found myself torn between interpreting the description through my own visual language and feeling compelled to create an image that remained as literal as the description provided.
- The poetic essence of both the original piece and my own work I felt was excluded from the alt text and image descriptions.
Visual Art Terms & Formal Knowledge:
- The ambiguity of the term “illustration” once again posed a challenge. The original image appeared to possess a digital collage quality with numerous lines and very vibrant colors, whereas my work, rendered in acrylics with more subdued tones and primarily painted with a palette knife, diverged significantly in style.
- The moods and associations of the two paintings are drastically different, primarily due to the methods by which they are rendered, despite their similarity in subject matter. For me this again underscores the critical importance of using precise formal terminology when describing images for alt text and image description.
Part II: Alt Text and Image Descriptions With and Without Context Information
Image 1
Alt Text
Traditional Hungarian embroidery of flowers in red and black thread.
Image Description
A close up view of an embroidered panel hanging on a wall. This panel shows a traditional Hungarian pattern stitched in red and black embroidery thread on a canvas-like fabric. The pattern comprises of a geometric arrangement of flower shapes with imperfections in the pattern.
1. Alt Text and image description without information about the artwork
Alt Text
An installation of red and black floral embroidery on cream colored cloth pinned to the wall.
Image Description
A cream-colored cloth is pinned to a wall. Stitched onto the cloth is a white rectangle featuring red and black embroidery. The embroidery consists of a decorative border with a black zig-zag line and small red leaves. Inside the border are three floral shapes with black centers, red petals, and red leaves. The cloth appears to be stitched to another piece of cloth on the left side, while on the right, the edge of another embroidered rectangle is visible. This suggests that the cloth is part of a longer ribbon composed of multiple embroidered pieces extending beyond the frame.
2. Alt text and image description after getting information about the artwork
Alt Text
A close-up view of an installation of Hungarian red cross-stitch floral embroidery on canvas like cloth pinned to the wall.
Image Description
A close-up view of canvas like cloth pinned to a gallery wall. Stitched onto the cloth is a white fabric rectangle featuring Hungarian folk cross stitch embroidery in red and black. The embroidery consists of a geometric decorative border with a black zig-zag line and small red leaves. Inside the border are three geometric floral shapes with black centers, red petals, and red leaves. There are noticeable imperfections in the stitch pattern. The cloth appears to be stitched to another piece of cloth on the left side, while on the right, the edge of another embroidered rectangle is visible. This suggests that the cloth is part of a longer ribbon composed of multiple embroidered pieces extending beyond the frame.
Reflections
Alt Text/Image Description as Poetry:
- Initially, I did not consider the imperfections in the stitching to be significant enough to include in my original description. However, upon receiving further information about the artwork and the exhibition, which centers on the theme of aging, I recognized that these imperfections are integral to the piece’s narrative. Omitting this detail from the image description deprives the reader of a comprehensive understanding of the artwork.
Visual Art Terms & Formal Knowledge:
- My prompt identification of the embroidery as originating from Eastern Europe was influenced by my own Eastern European heritage. Nevertheless, I was unable to specify the precise country of origin or identify the particular stitch employed. As a result, this information was omitted from the initial alt text and image description.
- Although this detail might not be immediately discernible to a sighted observer, it represents significant cultural context that contributes to the overall comprehensiveness of the image description for all readers.
Image 2
Alt Text
Details of Speak No by Persimmon Blackbridge.
Image Description
This photo is a detail shot from the middle of the piece Speak No. It includes 8 heads. Near the top is a smooth, long necked head carved from dark brown walnut wood. Its eyes are tiny holes drilled though the wood. The mouth is a slot sawn through the side of the face. Three holes are drilled above and below the mouth and stark white nylon string sews the mouth shut. Next to it is a smooth, golden brown walnut head. The grain of the wood suggests an eye, while most of the face is obscured by a rough edges scrap of window screen. At the right edge is a small, rough face. The mouth is a simple saw cut across the face, with a slotted metal fixture stapled across it. In the center is a round, cream coloured doll’s head. Its neck is a worn wooden stick, like a sawn off broom handle. The hair is thin, sparce an unruly. Made of messy stands of brownish orange fibre. The eyes are scribbled over with white oil pastel and the mouth is scribbled over with graphite. Next to it is a smooth head made of red wood, with a contorted red metal moth and eyes made from electrical connectors. At the bottom of the photo is a face of smooth purple heart wood with a long neck. The top of the head is cut off below the eyes. The mouth is a simple oval with pointed ends carved into to flat surface of the face. Four black wires stitch the mouth shut. The last head is fabricated from old fashioned printing plates – thin silver metal sheets with words in black and red type all over it. The sheets are cut, bent and riveted together ro form a 3D shape. The eyes are electrical connectors and the mouth is a tear in the metal, with many messy holes drilled around it and red wire here and there joining the holes. Hair is indicated by spikey triangles sticking out to the sides and top.
1. Alt text and image description without information about the artwork
Alt Text
A sculpture of wood carved heads mounted on white wood panel suspended on a wall.
Image Description
Nine unique heads, primarily carved in wood, are suspended a few inches off a white wood panel, casting multiple shadows across the surface. Four of the heads have simplified shapes resembling spoons, minimalist features like wire mouths that look like grills and holes for eyes. One head appears to be a plaster cast of a doll’s head on a stick, with straw hair and roughly scratched eyes and mouth. Another head has a cubist form and seems to be covered in newspaper. The top and bottom edges of the image include parts of additional heads, suggesting the piece extends vertically beyond the frame.
2. Alt text and image description after getting information about the artwork
Alt Text
A close-up of a sculpture of wood carved heads mounted on white wood panel suspended on a gallery wall.
Image Description
A close-up view of eight unique heads, primarily carved in wood, suspended a few inches off a white wood panel by invisible rods, casting multiple shadows across the surface. Most of the heads have simplified shapes resembling spoons, and minimalist features like mouths that look like grills and holes for eyes.
- The first head near the top left is made of dark wood and has two small holes for eyes and a mouth that appears stitched shut with stark white nylon string.
- Behind it directly attached to the panel is an outline of a head in profile. It is circular head with thick neck, a single eye, beak and spiked hair. It appears to be made of white wire and resembles a childlike drawing of a chicken.
- Next to these two it is the third head. It is smooth of golden-brown wood. The grain of the wood suggests an eye, while most of the face is obscured by a rough scrap of fine metal mesh.
- At the far-right edge of the panel is the fourth small, rough head. The broken edge of the wood suggesting hair. The mouth is a simple saw cut across the face, with a slotted metal fixture stapled across it.
- In the center of the panel is the fifth head. A round, cream coloured doll’s head. Its neck is a worn wooden stick, like a sawn-off broom handle. The hair is thin, sparce and unruly, made of messy strands of brownish orange fibre. The eyes are scribbled over with white oil pastel and the mouth is scribbled over with graphite.
- Next to it is the sixth head, made of red wood, with a contorted red metal mouth and eyes made from electrical connectors.
- At the bottom left is a face of smooth purple heart wood with a long neck. The top of the head is cut off below the eyes. The mouth is a simple oval with pointed ends carved into to flat surface of the face. Four black wires stitch the mouth shut.
- The last head is fabricated from old fashioned printing plates – thin silver metal sheets with words in black and red type all over them. The sheets are cut, bent and riveted together to form a 3D head shape. The eyes are electrical connectors, and the mouth is a tear in the metal, with many messy holes drilled around it and red wire here and there joining the holes. Hair is indicated by spikey triangles sticking out to the sides and top of the head.
The top and bottom edges of the image include parts of additional heads, suggesting the piece extends vertically beyond the frame.
Reflections
Alt Text/Image Description as Poetry:
- The photo alone did not make many materials (except for wood) discernible, making their description challenging. In subsequent revisions, input from the artist about the materials used was invaluable for accuracy. However, I felt that an exhaustive list of materials, such as specific types of wood, could diminish the work’s inherent mystery. In sculpture, the effectiveness of material lies in its novel or unusual application, which engages viewers by presenting something either extraordinary or newly suggestive while using familiar materials. Including detailed material descriptions in the caption risks reducing the work to a “made of” list, akin to commercial product descriptions, thereby undermining the visual experience. A balance must be struck between providing accurate material terms and maintaining a certain mystery to the work that the sighted viewer is experiencing though they may not know the materials.
Visual Art Terms & Formal Knowledge:
- In my initial draft of the alt text and image description, I considered using several historical art terms such as “modernism” and “cubism” to describe the work. Although these terms could have enriched the description, I was hesitant to use them due to uncertainty about whether the artist regarded their work as falling within these traditions. Nevertheless, such terms might assist alt text and image description readers in understanding the overall aesthetic. I noticed that these terms were not utilized in the artist’s own caption, leading me to exclude them from my final version. The challenge lies in determining the appropriate approach: while artists may not view their work through these frameworks, referencing historical styles is often essential for articulating artistic style.
Image 3
Alt Text
Infinite Unfolding Hold Space with New and Old by sab meynert.
Image Description
Title: Infinite Unfolding Hold Space with New and Old. A vibrant, colourful illustration of two hands that couple a large, lavish floral bouquet. The bouquet takes up about 3/4 of the illustration. In scale with the hands, it appears to be about a foot and a half wide. It seems to sprawl beyond the bottom limits of the illustration. The bouquet has bright blooms around its edges, and black and white leafy botanicals underneath and in the center. The flower petals are colored yellow, red, coral pink and bright lavender. Some have lush, rounded leaves like peonies. A few have thin long petals and are reminiscent of tropical flowers. Three peony like flowers sit on a bed of thin stemmed leafy plants with many thin leaves on each side. A group of the leafy plants have wider leaves with finger like edges. In the center is a deep fuchsia pink and white plant that resembles a hybrid of both. The botanicals are saturated with fine details that range from straight lines to tight waves. Between the botanicals are dots that resemble beadwork and strands of pearls. The hands that cup the bouquet are black with vibrant royal patches and golden beige fingernails. The hands have also been given fine golden beige details in a way that resembles hand painted China. The left hand is in the bottom left corner and faces palm down. Its details resemble sun rays. The right hand is near the top right corner with its palm open towards us. Its details are floral with dots that resemble a starry night. The background beyond the bouquet resembles soft, airy, white blue and gold clouds. A linear shape of the same gold color cuts through the bouquet and seems as though it could be its wrappings.
1. Alt text and image description without information about the artwork
Alt Text
A drawing/painting of two hands in blue and black framing many red, orange and pink flowers.
Image Description
A line drawing of two hands positioned at diagonally opposing corners. The hands are rendered in blue and black, adorned with intricate floral designs etched in white lines. Between the hands are line drawings of numerous flowers in shades of red, orange, and pink, complemented by black, white, and purple leaves. The hands seem to be framing or motioning towards gathering the flowers. At the top and bottom of the artwork, there are blue and white clouds with some yellow and brown hilltops peeking through them. These elements appear painted.
2. Alt text and image description after getting information about the artwork
Alt Text
A drawing/painting of two hands in blue and black framing many red, orange and pink flowers.
Image Description
A line drawing of two hands positioned at diagonally opposing corners of the paper. The hands are rendered in royal blue and black, adorned with intricate floral designs etched in golden beige lines. The hands have also been given fine golden beige details and fingernails in a way that resembles hand painted China.
Between the hands and taking up ¾ of the illustration are line drawings of flowers. The bouquet has bright blooms around its edges, and black and white leafy botanicals underneath and in the center. The flower petals are colored yellow, red, coral pink and bright lavender. Some have lush, rounded leaves like peonies. A few have thin long petals and are reminiscent of tropical flowers. Three peony like flowers sit on a bed of thin stemmed leafy plants with many thin leaves on each side. A group of the leafy plants have wider leaves with finger like edges. In the center is a deep fuchsia pink and white plant that resembles a hybrid of both. The botanicals are rendered with fine details that range from straight lines to tight waves. Between the botanicals are dots that resemble beadwork and strands of pearls.
The hands seem to be framing or motioning towards gathering the flowers. The left hand in the bottom left corner faces palm down. The right hand is near the top right corner with its palm open towards the viewer. At the top and bottom of the artwork, there are blue and white clouds with what appear as yellow and brown hilltops peeking through them. These elements appear painted and are rendered with loose brush strokes.
Reflections
Alt Text/Image Description as Poetry:
- There was a notable discrepancy in interpretation regarding the depiction of the flowers. I perceived them as situated in a valley between hills, while the original description interpreted them as a bouquet being unwrapped. This variance underscores the interpretive nature of image-caption descriptions. Poetic and story-telling language may be required to provide the freedom to acknowledge the ambiguity and provide readers with a broader understanding of potential meanings of the image.
Visual Art Terms & Formal Knowledge:
- Describing this work proved complex, and revisions to my initial and subsequent descriptions revealed ongoing challenges in articulating style and interpretation. It seemed crucial to me to delineate the contrast between the linear style of the hand and flower drawings and the painterly approach of the white, blue, and yellow-brown elements within the piece.
- I initially did not provide an extensive description of the intricate design of the hands and flowers as detailed in the provided information. Upon reflection in the second iteration, I recognized the importance of including such detail and revised this aspect in my second version. The artist’s significant effort on these elements is evident in the artwork and should be accurately conveyed in the alt text and image description.
Conclusion
Translating visual works into alt text and image descriptions provides artists with an opportunity to articulate their work through a different modality, shifting from visual to verbal expression. This process allows for reflection on the visual work that is distinct from artists’ statements, which focus on intentionality, interpretation, or theoretical-historical context. Instead, it redirects attention to what is visually perceived and offers new avenues for self-reflection and expression.
The process demands the translation of visual elements—such as composition, color, line, materiality, and stylistic choices—into a poetic/storytelling language. The task might not come naturally to all visual artists; however, it forces the artist to consciously reflect on the various artistic and stylistic decisions embedded in their work, decisions that might otherwise be overlooked.
Furthermore, effectively translating visual works into alt text and image descriptions requires some formal knowledge of visual art history, terminology, movements, styles etc. The use of formal language should be balanced against over-determining or over-interpreting the work but should nonetheless position the work somehow within the art canon and should not assume ignorance on the part of the reader. This too can be revelatory for the artists and perhaps offer an opportunity for curators to support the process.
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