ART Broadcasts to the Blind

The artist has been warned that his condition will likely worsen. However, his passion for his art remains undimmed. Following his first year of learning the basics and rudiments of sculpture, he embarked on a three month hiatus in northern Tuscany, Italy. The quarries near Pietrasanta have produced marble since the Renaissance and the days of Michelangelo. The large stones there were an impractical media for Ginio to produce a quality result. Ginio lives in a village in the Judean Hills, in Israel. He need go no further than his own back yard to find the most appropriate stones for his art.

The artist explains, "My art is mid-sized and may not be larger than what I can comfortably handle with my hands. If the work is too large, it is easy for a sightless person to lose the sense of proportion.” Ginio admits to working, fully concentrated for long periods of time. A statue can take him as many as 150 hours to complete. Before working on the stone he inspects the surface for cracks or weak spots. Left undiscovered, the lesser quality surface may cause the stone to split apart.

Ginio has great faith in the efficacy of his sense of touch, as well as the other senses of hearing, smell and taste. He says, "I believe the other senses are sharper and more sophisticated than sight. Vision can be easily disrupted if an object is placed in front of your line of gaze. You may not be able to see it, but you can still touch, smell or hear it. Vision is limited and subjective, but a dog's sense of smell can tell you who was in the room three days ago." 

The artist follows the psychological evidence that the part of the brain usually performing sight skills has been reprogrammed to respond to the sense of touch. He believed that his rehabilitation is miraculous. If you have a problem, count on your brain to adapt to your needs.

Natty observes that, "Blind visitors to the gallery breached the universal ‘do not touch’ warning signs normally found in a museum. In addition to the sculptor works there are many paintings with thickened surfaces that were also appreciated by the blind museum visitor. These handicapped people were encouraged to touch and finger the works on display. Experts say the exhibit is not to copy the blind experience for the sighted but rather to demonstrate that the blind can enjoy art just the same." 

Natty continues, "I saw a young blind man touching a painting with a well projected surface and happily called out ‘mountain, moon’ as well as other areas that he recognized by his practiced touch skills.”

One blind person who touched and examined a painting declared that he wondered why no humans or plants were depicted in that particular work. A companion asked how he could possibly decipher that. The answer left an indelible mark on all who heard him reply, "Because it broadcasts to me". An art teacher nearby observed that it was a perfect phrase since a broadcast does not define a specific way of communication to the exclusion of all the others. For the teacher, an avenue is opened for new insights about a blind person's sensitivities.

These museums also utilize electronic audio guides and Braille captions on a wall to help the blind visitors navigate their way through the maze of art in the exhibition. One must keep in mind that some of the works are also pleasing to a sighted visitor, but will have an added effect for the blind. Natty explains, "Some of the sculptures included Braille as part of the work. One artist used a number of aluminum discs that he adhered to a wall. It reminded me of LP records. The sighted would see this work as a series of simple abstract shapes arranged for an esthetic effect without any narration incorporated. 

But, as a matter of fact the blind visitor, while feeling the surface, will touch an area that spells out a message in Braille. Another work consisted of several upright aluminum cylinders. Each is 15 cm high with Braille writing at the exposed ends. When they are touched from above they spell out "Let There Be Light.” Natty concluded, "Sighted people are accustomed to seeing light but, in this case the blind are feeling it. This must be an experience that is unknown to a sighted person."

Susan Nashman Fraiman is an art history professor who has delved into this special field and recently acted as a co-curator for a seminar/workshop in New York which was sponsored by Art Education for the Blind. It is a non profit organization of art educators and developmental psychologists who are attempting to formulate a training program for the blind and visually impaired. 

The event took place during "Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month" in Oct. 2008. During the conference, Nashman Fraiman learned of the theory that children who learn how to make and understand art, grow up with greater cognitive abilities. She generated excitement with the feeling that the blind could benefit from similar training. Those that could be helped most were people who were born sighted but lose their vision later in life. They still have a memory of what things look like. Yet a blind person can appreciate the shape, feel and smell of a tree. Certainly a blind person knows what rain, wind and sunshine feel like. Colors present a special challenge to the unsighted person. 

However, once informed of a color that is important to the work they react with an expected normal emotion. The color red usually denotes rage or anger, blue is interpreted as depression or melancholy, yellow suggests a happy disposition, and so on. Nashman Fraiman remarks, "Blind people see but not just with the eyes." It boils down to the fact that each blind museum visitor is painting his/her own picture and sculpting his own sculpture.

The use of normal vision is taken for granted whereas eye movements must be explained to the unsighted. The audio guide is sometimes exasperating to the blind since an undue period of time elapses as the particular work of art is introduced. The unsighted 
becomes connected to the piece by information presented in sequence. The audio guide will instruct the blind listeners where to place their fingers and hands and the next direction to move them. 

It is a laborious undertaking which the sighted person accomplishes almost instantaneously. Curators are watchful since repeated touching may mar the works of art. Naishman Fraiman explains that rubber gloves are made available to help reduce the possibilities of damage to the pieces of art. A work with movable parts, for instance, would not be a safe entry. Many exhibitors do not prefer to enter their work to exhibits for the blind since they fear accidental damage may occur. For that reason, sturdy works made of wood, metal, plaster or stone are often chosen. Every precaution is undertaken to prevent the work from suffering damage.

Naishman Fraiman concludes, "It takes a lot of time, but it is a wonderful sense of accomplishment. It is like the unfolding of a detective story, discovering one detail at a time. When all the pieces have been sorted out, there is a feeling of having solved a puzzle."