Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler

Unbound is the remarkable story of Judith Scott, who overcomes her disabilities and institutionalization to become  an internationally recognized fabric artist. 

Entwined

Judy and Joyce are twins who live with their parents and three older brothers. They are always together, under the sun and moon, playing together in the neighbourhood. But when Joyce begins kindergarten, Judy, who has Down Syndrome, cannot come. She has learning disabilities and a weak heart. Although the doctors tell them that Judy is "slow", to Joyce she is "perfect just the way she is." 

The Colors of Gone

One day Joyce learns that her father has taken Judy away to a special school to live and where she will learn to talk. Joyce overhears her father tell her mother just how hard it was to leave Judy at the school. Although Judy's magazines, dolls and toys are placed in a box by her mother, Joyce takes them out every night and sleeps with them. Eventually, Joyce is able to visit her sister. When Joyce sees Judy's school, she is not happy: there are no books, crayons, or playground. Judy and Joyce hug and look at a magazine filled with pictures of bunnies.

Unbound

Time passes and Joyce brings her friends, her husband and then their children to meet Judy. Joyce still misses her sister and arranges for Judy to move from the institution in Ohio to her home in California. The staff at the institution tell Joyce that this move will be difficult because they believe Judy is deaf, something that surprises Joyce. Finally, the two sisters are together again, when Judy arrives unaccompanied on a flight.

A New Language

Judy and Joyce are much happier now. With Joyce working as a nurse during the day, Judy is enrolled in an art program for adults with disabilities at an art studio, Creative Growth Art Center. Although Joyce has never seen Judy do anything artsy, one day Judy begins working with natural materials: yarn, twine, twigs and wood. Soon Judy is in the studio everyday creating pieces out of many different materials. These creations are colourful and unique. One day after many years, Judy creates a piece that is small and black and she also gives Joyce all her magazines. The next day, Judy dies in Joyce's arms.

Discussion

Unbound is the story about the life of Judith Scott, whose disabilities hid her remarkable talent for decades, until her twin sister brought her home and enrolled her in an art studio. There Judith discovered her gift for communicating through fabric art.

Judith Scott lived at a time when people with Down Syndrome were often institutionalized. They received little education or intellectual stimulation and were often hidden away. In some cases, families were encouraged to send their children with disabilities away, in others, the lack of support for home care and education made living with their families almost impossible. In her Author Note at the back, Joyce Scott writes, "Wherever we live, we find many people who are bit 'different' in one way or another. These individuals, because of their differences, are often thought of as being less than those of us who consider ourselves 'normal'. They are often kept at a distance, not included in the everydayness of our lives....Because they are not valued, their unseen strenghts and gifts often go unrecognized, unexplored, and undiscovered." 

This is exactly what happened with Judith Scott. Institutionalized, her potential remained hidden until her sister, Joyce was able to bring her into her home, and to give her the opportunity to explore through art. Judith eventually discovered that she could express herself through the use of natural materials and so communicate with others.

Judith's twin sister, Joyce, found her sister's institutionalization emotionally distressing. In her eyes, Judy "...is perfect just the way she is. She knows things that no one else knows and sees the world in ways that I never will." Joyce was able to see past her sister's disabilities, knowing her as a loving person who responded in a different way to the world around her.

Judith's story is told through four short chapters from Joyce's perspective. At the back, a photograph of an older Judith is included along with information on the Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland. There is also some information on Down Syndrome, a Timeline of Judith's life, and and Author Note and Illustrator Note. The illustrations for this picture book were created  with watercolor, colored pencils, and mixed media. Illustrator Melissa Sweet strove to interpret Judith's process and art using natural objects like wood, yarn, and thread.

Unbound is the inspiring story of Judith Scott, renowned fiber artist who discovered her ability to express herself through the use of natural materials, and to overcome her major life challenges.

Book Details:

Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler
New York: Alfred A. Knopf      2021