Sophie Ana Paris: Midterm Portfolio – #6 Touch Object

#6. TOUCH OBJECTS

Touch for vision, intangible for tangible 

Assignment Description: Find something intangible or often un-touchable (a breeze, ice cubes, yogurt, a jellyfish) and make it into a touch object in some way – it doesn’t have to be a replica, but it could be.

• • What is the theme of the work? What is it you aim to express?
    • The theme of my touch object is the free, ever changing movement of a shadow and its relationship to the object being reflected. 
  • How is that theme particularly expressed through the modality of the week?
    • The fluid yet somewhat predictable chainmail that represents a shadow represents the same “fluid yet somewhat predictable” behavior of a shadow that follows its “parent” object across a surface as light moves. The chainmail’s ability to mimic the behavior of a shadow allows for a tactile interaction with the concept of shadows, for the person experiencing the piece to physically feel the movement and texture of the object. Additionally, the way that the shadow and the vase are made of the exact same material (literally the same filliment) allows for the shadow and the vase to also be understood as one cohesive object rather than two distinct ones.
  • Which elements of the work are beautifully/wonderfully/perfectly expressed through the modality?
    • I think that the relationship between the shadow and the vase is expressed quite well through the piece. The chainmail allows people to interact with the shadow in a tactile way that they normally wouldn’t be able to, both for sighted people and also for people who are BLV. By touching the chainmail, people can get a sense of the formlessness and dynamic nature of shadows. Also, as I explained above, the fact that the chainmail and the vase are made out of the same material also helps to express the relationship between the two by reinforcing the idea that the shadow is a part of the vase itself, rather than a separate entity.
  • Which elements are lost or inexpressible through the modality of the week?
    • My 3D printed representation of a shadow obviously cannot perfectly mimic something that is not a solid object, such as a shadow, for a bunch of reasons. I think one of the biggest elements lost through my representation of a shadow is that it only captures a portion of the moment of a shadow, as the chainmail cannot rotate, ignoring the continuous movement of the shadow’s position based on the light reflection. The transparency of shadows, which allows background textures to show through, is another aspect that is lost through this modality. Additionally, the color caused by different light conditions and surface colors are not expressed with the monochrome filament.
  • Who does this project exclude? Who would not be able to interact with this work ? Who is this modality not accessible for?
    • The conceptual, metaphorical representation of shadows and light may not be easily understood by individuals with certain cognitive disabilities. This might affect their ability to engage with the deeper theme of the piece. It also might exclude people with limited dexterity or fine motor skills, as the chainmail might be difficult to grasp or manipulate. 
  • Now that you’ve identified who is excluded, what is one way you could remix this piece to include another population? (You don’t have to make this part, but think about it and write about it) 
    • A way I could enhance the piece to better convey the concept of shadows to a person with cognitive disabilities that doesn’t quite understand is by creating multiple versions of the same object with different shadows that vary in size and shape as a shadow does based on the light reflection, and creating more of an installation for the work, where each vase with different shadows has a light source next to it, each in different positions, that also feels warm to include the sensory, tactile (kind of) representation of light and how that affects the way a shadow is.