Do not touch the art

During the first week of May, we started a new unit: Touch. First, we had a massage therapist employed by professor give a presentation about her line of work. We also read The Deepest Sense by Constance Classen, which gave a history of touch in the Middle Ages. The masseuse’s presentation covered how she first got into the field, as well as how different massage therapies work on a patient. A memorable part of the presentation was the raki energy exercise with Ann and her sore shoulder. Three people got up, placed hands on her back, and directed positive energy at her shoulders. When they were done, Ann said her shoulder felt better. How?

I could write this off as a placebo effect, but touch, after all, is the deepest sense. Touch is emotionally interconnected to our well-being, studies show babies need touch to develop healthily. In a theoretical sense, the raki energy exercise seems plausible because touch facilities the connection between two bodies, transferring warmth and good vibes. But she just better just from that? It was weird to watch.

source: http://in-side-out.com

How is touch used in ritual? What I think of immediately is the tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl used in services. I think of how comforting it is when it hangs around your shoulders, and how you can fiddle with the prayer knots on the end of it, the tzitzit. The knots represent something important and I can't remember what. 

In my everyday life, I pay close attention to texture. I love working with my hands, and texture influences the way I create art. Part of it is visual, and the other part of it is tactile. Texture provides feedback to what I'm doing in my work. When I draw, I love how fountain pens glide across a page. Using watercolors can sometimes annoy me because of how sensitive the brush is across the paper, I can't control it the same way as a pen because there isn't much to feel besides the brush across paper. Working with clay is absolutely delightful, especially on the pottery wheel where my hands mold a dense mound of clay with the help of water. With my art, touch allows me to interact in the physical world and manipulate my materials with how I see fit. 

While I'm on the subject of touching and art, I think there is a good reason why you should not touch art when you see it. I am always tempted to do so, especially if the painting is made with oil paint. But I can satisfy my desire to experience art sensually by creating. That is one way how I can to connect with the outside world, by working with my hands.