Art and Touch

When I think of amplified senses and other manifestations of sensory experience, art and touch are obvious. As we discussed in class and learned from listening to clips, creating music can be an emotional experience on both an individual and communal level - both audibly, visually, and through touch. Artists are commonly perceived to posses a heightened emotional reception and emission that allows them to express themselves through various forms of art (Van Gogh, Kurt Cobain, etc.)
As shown in the image above (taken from the movie 'Ghost'), art can also be an incredibly erotic and physically sensual experience as well as a visual aesthetic. The portrayal throughout history of the naked human form was a way to celebrate God's work (in Greece as early as 5-6th Century BC), an idyllic perception of the body, creating a diety likeness. The strong tether between the human body, sex, and the expression of these things through sculpture and paint is primarily manifested through touch.
                                                                  

Then as I continued to think about my experience with art history and museums in general as it was associated with touch I recalled as a child my mother would take me to interactive art museums; my favorite was the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. Being the hyperactive, attention deficit child that I was, educational opportunities that allowed for active participation was exactly what I desired. Within the walls of this magical place was a sand pit, an art wall, a rock climbing station, sea creature tank where you could stick your hands in and actually touch the animals. The dozen or so exhibits all contained open ended components to encourage play and active participation as well as learning.

They have recently incorporated a Music and Movement exhibit that encourages active learning about musical history and its many languages. There are performances with specifically contracted performers and staff solely to catalyze the introduction various styles, genres, and cultures of music and dance. They work to allow children to "take part in creative expression and rhythmic exploration all while enhancing motor skills." 

There is a je ne sais quoi experience that can overwhelm you during the creation and appreciation of art. It can strike a nerve or emotional chord deep within you that you didn't even realize existed. When art is created I believe the artist leaves a piece of themselves within the art. Much like the Darsan of idols in Hinduism, which considers the God's themselves manifested within their statued likeness, the manifestation of the artist is within the piece that they create.