<html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:10pt;"><div>I am a tactile artist and I do it intentionally and it is not because I lost my sight. Back in the early 90's I wondered one day if it would be possible to figure out bas relief pictures only using touch. That one question changed the whole trajectory of my art career. I started experimenting on myself and reached out to meet more tactile artists and quickly became convinced that it is possible. I learned that it needs to be well done but when it is well done it can be more than a pale cousin of visual art. I have found it can be much more and different than visual art altogether. </div><div> </div><div>For instance: </div><div> It is much more visceral, I work in three different realms, I teach at at the Colorado Center for the Blind, I sculpt my work and I make tactile interpretations of paintings for museums. One of the first pieces I did for Denver Art Museum was of a buffalo hunt. In this picture the buffalo has been impaled by an arrow. It is one thing to look at but to feel that arrow piercing the buffalo's side is altogether more powerful. Cringe inducing for sure. There are lots of other examples of this kind of connection to the art. </div><div> I have a picture of a appotosaurus with a modern man standing in front of him. When you look at the picture you see a small person in front of a very large dinosaur. When you feel it you feel yourself as a small figure neatly fitting beneath the belly of this animal. Very different experience. </div><div> My supposition is that when we look at pictures we are (on all levels, physically, emotionally and psychologically) removed from the action. But when we are feeling our way through the same picture we are much more engaged. We place ourselves in the picture we are no longer just observing.</div><div> Architect Chris Downey talked about this in Orlando at the 2014 NFB Convention. He has worked as both a sighted and blind architect. He talked about experiencing the same phenomena when he connects with tactile floor plans, he feels as though he is actually in them instead of simply looking at them. (Chris if you are reading this please correct me if I got that wrong.)</div><div><br></div><div>I have noticed that my students and I can pretty intuitively describe passage of time, time of day or night. Viewers can control the weather, if there is rain or snow in a picture it can be made to rain softer or heavier by the speed at which one moves his/her hands.</div><div><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></div><div><br></div><div>From what I have learned about how blind artists work proportions seem to be much more accurately perceived with tactile/kinestetic senses than they are with vision. John Bramblitt talks about that in his wonderful book "Shouting in the Dark."</div><div><br></div><div>He also talks about visualizing images in his mind. I have one piece I now call "Animated Raven" that I have experienced as a moving picture. It was quite startling the first time it happened. I designed this piece as five birds, it is almost 8 feet wide by two feet high carved in slate. I carved it as five birds but when I put it on the museum wall and closed my eyes to check it out tactually it became one bird jumping all around like an animated video clip. That was cool! It doesn't always happen with a great amount of predictability though. </div><div><br></div><div>What does seem to be happening predictably is the way my newest sculptures are working. Chammed sculptures or two sided bas (low) relief pieces seem to be working as intended tactually for most people. <span style="">If you use your eyes you can see one side and then the other but if you use your hands you can see both sides at the same time. </span><span style="">It seems very predictable that most people experience the wolves, this first group of sculptures is a pack of wolves, as being more 3D than the half inch slate. This is pretty exciting to me. I am now working on some chammed pictures that I am going to thermorform and see if I can run some by folks at National Braille Press early October. If anyone is interested in trying out my early efforts let me know and I will see if I can send a couple out.</span></div><div><span style=""><br></span></div><div><span style="">all best, Ann</span></div><div><br></div><div> </div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: andale mono,times;">Ann Cunningham</span></div><div><span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Tactile Art - a creative way to see the world!</span></em></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: andale mono,times;">303 238 4760</span></div><div><span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"><a target="_blank" href="mailto:ann@acunningham.com">ann@acunningham.com</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.acunningham.com">http://www.acunningham.com</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sensationalbooks.com">http://www.sensationalbooks.com</a> </span></div><div><br><br> <div id="wmQuoteWrapper"> -------- Original Message --------<br> Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] Resources for Tactile Art<br> From: "Lynda Lambert" <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:llambert@zoominternet.net">llambert@zoominternet.net</a>><br> Date: Tue, September 02, 2014 6:02 am<br> To: <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:Ann@acunningham.com">Ann@acunningham.com</a>><br> <br> <div dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"> <div>Ann, I think you are on to something very good in beginning a data base for tactile art and artists who create it.</div> <div>My guess is that most artists produce both kinds of art. While my fiber art is non-touchable my pottery welcomes a pair of hands caressing it and feeling all the nuances of the piece. Most artists I know work in both 3-D and 2-D in their work unless they are strictly a painter or photographer, etc. Any artist who has gone through the university art department route, has had experience in making nearly every kind of art that is available in that department – it’s part of the curriculum for a degree in fine art. </div> <div> </div> <div>You also bring up something so interesting to me, and that is why a person would begin to make tactile art specifically. I love the idea of doing that, but it isn’t something that I do intentionally. My pottery is first and formost an idea I want to pursue and it just happens to be touchable – but that was never my initial intention for it. Maybe it has to do with when an artist became visually impaired? I don’t know. By the time I lost my sight, I was 64 years old, and had been making art nearly my entire life so my brain still s3ees things in purely visual terms and I make my art in that way. But at a recent exhibition I did, I had a day when the public could come and see me demonstrating how I work, and I walked through the show with some of those people, too. One girl was blind, and her response to my pottery was so beautiful to me. She picked up a large plate with lots of relief and cuts into the surface and she cradled it in her hands and really was touching it all over. She just glowed with happiness at the touch of it. She said, “OH, if I had this in my room I would touch it all the time.” And, she wanted to know how she could make pottery too. Before she left, I had the plate wrapped up and gifted it to her. I thought she would float out of the gallery with happiness. I can certainly see the value of making art that is specifically made to be touched and Ali’s idea for the dorm is a great idea for everyone. Good luck ladies.</div> <div>Lynda</div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline"> <div style="FONT: 10pt tahoma"> <div><font size="3" face="Calibri"></font> </div> <div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5"> <div style="font-color: black"><b>From:</b> <a target="_blank" title="Ann@acunningham.com" href="mailto:Ann@acunningham.com">Ann@acunningham.com</a> </div> <div><b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 01, 2014 7:48 PM</div> <div><b>To:</b> <a target="_blank" title="llambert@zoominternet.net" href="mailto:llambert@zoominternet.net">Lynda Lambert</a> </div> <div><b>Subject:</b> RE: [Artists-making-art] Resources for Tactile Art</div></div></div> <div> </div></div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana; COLOR: #000000"> <div>Hi Lynda, </div> <div> You bring up a really good point. I like to recognize that there are those among us who make tactile art, art that can stand up to being touched and cleaned. Or art that is repairable. And then there are those who are blind or visually impaired among us who make visual art, art that is only intended to be seen.</div> <div> Correct me if I am wrong Ali, but I think you are interested in acquiring tactile art for your dorm so that it can be both visually and tactually appreciated. Right? </div> <div> Just guessing but I would say there are probably more bind visual artists than tactile artists of any ilk but there are tactile artists and I would like to connect with as many as possible. I would like to start a data bank of blind or visually impaired artists and tactile artists. If you know people who would like to be listed please send me their contact info or give them mine. Also if you would like to be on the list let me know that too. </div> <div> This way we could have a bit of a clearing house for people like Ali who are searching for this kind of art. what do you all think?</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times">Ann Cunningham</span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><em><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Tactile Art - a creative way to see the world!</span></em></span></span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times">303 238 4760</span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><a target="_blank" href="mailto:ann@acunningham.com">ann@acunningham.com</a></span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.acunningham.com">http://www.acunningham.com</a></span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sensationalbooks.com">http://www.sensationalbooks.com</a> </span></div> <div><br><br></div> <blockquote id="replyBlockquote" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana; COLOR: black; PADDING-LEFT: 8px; MARGIN-LEFT: 8px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid" webmail="1"> <div id="wmQuoteWrapper">-------- Original Message --------<br>Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] Resources for Tactile Art<br>From: "Lynda Lambert" <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:llambert@zoominternet.net">llambert@zoominternet.net</a>><br>Date: Mon, September 01, 2014 9:50 am<br>To: <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:Ann@acunningham.com">Ann@acunningham.com</a>>, "An exploration of art by and for blind<br>persons" <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:artists-making-art@nfbnet.org">artists-making-art@nfbnet.org</a>><br><br> <div dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"> <div>Hi ann,</div> <div>I read this note and since I am a fiber artist, I had one thought: I would never allow anyone to TOUCH my art work.</div> <div>That would be my greatest fear that anyone would put their hands on my work when it is on display – body oils and dirty hands would ruin the piece very quickly. Fiber work, unless it is made of unusual materials such as plastics or vinys, is really fragile. I only handle my own work with gloves on after it has been completed. Much of it is shown under glass. Lynda</div> <div><a href="http://www.lyndalambert.com" target="_blank">www.lyndalambert.com</a></div> <div> </div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline"> <div style="FONT: 10pt tahoma"> <div><font size="3" face="Calibri"></font> </div> <div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5"> <div style="font-color: black"><b>From:</b> <a title="artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" href="mailto:artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">Ann Cunningham via Artists-making-art</a> </div> <div><b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 01, 2014 10:14 AM</div> <div><b>To:</b> <a title="parafuture@gmail.com" href="mailto:parafuture@gmail.com" target="_blank">Ali Steenis</a> ; <a title="artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" href="mailto:artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">An exploration of art by and for blind persons</a> </div> <div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Artists-making-art] Resources for Tactile Art</div></div></div> <div> </div></div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana; COLOR: #000000"> <div>Hi Ali, I have lots of thoughts on this but little time I will reply as soon as I can. I am awaiting some replies to proposals I have submitted about tactile art too and if they are favorable these projects might be a great way for you to get some art too. I will let you know more as soon as I can. All the best, Ann</div> <div> </div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times">Ann Cunningham</span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><em><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Tactile Art - a creative way to see the world!</span></em></span></span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times">303 238 4760</span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><a href="mailto:ann@acunningham.com" target="_blank">ann@acunningham.com</a></span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><a href="http://www.acunningham.com" target="_blank">http://www.acunningham.com</a></span></div> <div><span style="FONT-FAMILY: andale mono,times"><a href="http://www.sensationalbooks.com" target="_blank">http://www.sensationalbooks.com</a> </span></div> <div><br><br></div> <blockquote id="replyBlockquote" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana; COLOR: black; PADDING-LEFT: 8px; MARGIN-LEFT: 8px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid" webmail="1"> <div id="wmQuoteWrapper">-------- Original Message --------<br>Subject: [Artists-making-art] Resources for Tactile Art<br>From: Ali Steenis via Artists-making-art <<a href="mailto:artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">artists-making-art@nfbnet.org</a>><br>Date: Thu, August 28, 2014 5:12 pm<br>To: "<a href="mailto:artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">artists-making-art@nfbnet.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">artists-making-art@nfbnet.org</a>><br><br> <div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">Hello all,<br><br>I have really enjoyed reading all of the posts in this group. I am new to NFB net and have a question.<br><br>I am a student at Seattle Pacific University and will be serving as a student government senator for two of our residence halls. One of the halls is still in construction and will open for its first year next year. I am blind and travel with a guide dog and my major cause for next year as a senator is t create an environment in the new dorm that is accessible for all people especially those with disabilities. I want future students with any kind of disability to feel that they were thought of in the early years of the dorm; that their unique ways of interacting and enjoying the dorm have been thought of and included. <br><br>My biggest idea is to have all of the wall art in the dorm be tactile with braille as well as print captions. I know from experience that art made from fabrics, tile or other materials can be visually appealing as well as tactilely. By includin this kind of art in the dorm's common areas it would provide something for blind students to enjoy as well as a great opportunity to promote inclusion and dedication to all residents of all unique abilities. <br><br>With this said, I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions on how I might acquire and implement this kind of art. Or ideas on how I can expand on this idea to make it most effective. I am thinking that having smaller pieces may be easier but I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts. <br><br>Thanks so much for reading!<br><br>Ali Steenis <br>Seattle Pacific University <br>2014-2015 Arnett Hall/Emerson Hall Hall Council Senator <br>National Ability Center - Coach Intern<br><a href="mailto:steenisa@spu.edu" target="_blank" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1/0">steenisa@spu.edu</a><br><a href="tel:425-530-2333" target="_blank" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1/1">425-530-2333</a></span><br><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">Ali Steenis </span> <div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">Seattle Pacific University </div> <div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">2014-2015 Arnett Hall/Emerson Hall Hall Council Senator </div> <div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">National Ability Center - Coach Intern</div> <div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto"><a href="mailto:steenisa@spu.edu" target="_blank">steenisa@spu.edu</a></div> <div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">425-530-2333</div></div> <hr> _______________________________________________<br>Artists-making-art mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Artists-making-art@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">Artists-making-art@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Artists-making-art:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org/ann%40acunningham.com" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org/ann%40acunningham.com</a> </div></blockquote></span> <div></div> <hr> _______________________________________________<br>Artists-making-art mailing list<br><a target="_blank" href="mailto:Artists-making-art@nfbnet.org">Artists-making-art@nfbnet.org</a><br><a target="_blank" href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Artists-making-art:<br><a target="_blank" href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org/llambert%40zoominternet.net">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/artists-making-art_nfbnet.org/llambert%40zoominternet.net</a></div></div></div></div></blockquote></span></div></div></div> </div> </div></span></body></html>