Tactile Paintings. Should computers or artists interpret paintings for the visually impaired and bl
‘Adapting Artwork for People Who Are Blind or Visually impaired Using Raised Printing’
“Everyone has the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community” (United Nations, 2012). Paintings that can be accessed freely by blind and visually impaired visitors to Art Museums are copied in some raised form. Here we are given a description of the process used to create a tactile adaptation of the painting Portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Habsburg (called Sissi by those close to her) who was famous for her extreme beauty and whose life was the subject of many films. The painting hangs in the Celje Regional Museum in Slovenia. (Painted 1873- 1875 by Georg Martin Ignaz Raab).
There are many techniques used in tactile adaptation. The microcapsule technique (Braille Authority, 2012) is common as is the thermovacuum technique (Rener, 1992). To create a tactile adaptation in this study, a new technique with an inkjet printer,
The print was created in three stages and each stage was tested by a group of visually impaired Art lovers. The images were adapted from their feedback, for example on image one the raised lines were reported to be high enough (9mm) but not sufficiently thick(1mm)to be detectable by touch at times. Features such as the nose of the Empress failed to convey a sense of beauty. Similarly the details of the dress overpowered the necklace worn around the neck in image two . Museum curators were also involved at the feedback stage to give their expertise to what adjustments were needed to retain the important features. Dress detail was played down hair texture simplified background texture increased to give a sense of the canvas. Interviews took place for the finished image three and the gallery reports that the users of the tactile version of the portrait are very satisfied.
Due to the limitations of the printer, the overall size of the tactile reproduction is smaller than the original. 79 x 63 cm was reduced to 36 x 29cm. This is understandable but perhaps it opens up the question of what exactly do we want the visually impaired to get out of their interaction with important paintings. One could argue that some experience, some knowledge is good, but I feel there is a danger perhaps that whilst providing the detail in a factually accurate manner we do not pay attention to the more important emotional impact that such portraits, and indeed all painting from the hyper real through the many stylised “isms” to the emotionally fuelled fully abstract can make. With this in mind and referring to the facts of just how much of the information produced by the machine for this portrait needed to be modified by human opinion, then perhaps it would be much better (more emotionally impactive) to create tactile interpretations only made by human hand, both sighted and non sighted artists working as one.
Read the Complete Text.....
Krivec, T. et al (2014) ‘Adapting Artwork for People Who Are Blind or Visually impaired Using Raised Printing’. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. Vol 108(1). P. 68. Proquest [Online] Available at:http://search.proquest.com.ergo.southwales.ac.uk/docview/1497152248/B7CC051B47474F86PQ/1?accountid=15324. (Accessed 09/12/2016)
