Design Research—Senses Separation
When people feel the appeal to touch something, mostly because their eyes are attracted by it. For example, a piece of cake with fat cream and berries on top, the bumped pickles in the jar, a little furry cat inside of a house next to the window or a huge piece of gem from jewelry store. In many cases, we can’t touch the thing that we want to touch and leave with some unreconciled itchiness in our hearts. But when we can follow our desire and touch that thing, it is just great. Imagine when you were a kid and put your hands deep inside of the rice bag.
I use paintings as the object to experiment the senses of the visual and the touch. When I go to a museum, I look at all those tiny little textures on the painting, from the hairs of brushes, from the artists’ hands. Heavy or thin, shiny or matt, paintings are luring for my touch. But they are on the wall, even in glass frame and I have to keep distance.
What if I can duplicate the texture of paintings and people can touch?
When I offer this experience, I wish people can play my game. Remember the distance between you and the untouchable art is always there. You are touching something that normally is not allowed. By 3d scanning and moulding, I made a texture replica of the painting. People put hand underneath a piece of fabric, touch it by hand palm or finger tips. Look at the painting which is a bit far away from you, touch the texture replica next to you. When the senses of the touch and the visual are separated, there is a blurry but intense connection going on. Your brain can feel confused by all the locating, searching, calculating. At the same time, you can enjoy that painting in a whole new way.
The texture replica can be made by different materials to stimulate emotions. It has 95 percent of identical texture as the painting. The other 5 percent, is a surprise.
I use paintings as the object to experiment the senses of the visual and the touch. When I go to a museum, I look at all those tiny little textures on the painting, from the hairs of brushes, from the artists’ hands. Heavy or thin, shiny or matt, paintings are luring for my touch. But they are on the wall, even in glass frame and I have to keep distance.
What if I can duplicate the texture of paintings and people can touch?
When I offer this experience, I wish people can play my game. Remember the distance between you and the untouchable art is always there. You are touching something that normally is not allowed. By 3d scanning and moulding, I made a texture replica of the painting. People put hand underneath a piece of fabric, touch it by hand palm or finger tips. Look at the painting which is a bit far away from you, touch the texture replica next to you. When the senses of the touch and the visual are separated, there is a blurry but intense connection going on. Your brain can feel confused by all the locating, searching, calculating. At the same time, you can enjoy that painting in a whole new way.
The texture replica can be made by different materials to stimulate emotions. It has 95 percent of identical texture as the painting. The other 5 percent, is a surprise.
Experiments have been done:
First: About the texture
Made some acrylic paintings(for the first time in my life), tried to catch the texture in two ways:
1.3D scan (photogrammetry):
Took around 40 photos from different angles, calculated in the computer.
Result: not perfect but very well, can be used for 3d printing roughly. It doesn’t work as well when the painting is black and white.
2. Making plaster mould
Result: Of course it hurts the painting, but the mould is very good. It captures almost all the small textures of the paining.
Using the plaster mode to get the texture replica.
- By plaster
- By eco-latex
Second: About the senses
1.Find two things has exactly the same shape, let people try to touch one and look at the other. (to test the sense separation)
Result:
About 30 people have tried, more than 80 percent of people feel something “special”. They describe the experience as a a whole new experience. Here are some quotes:
“Something itchy in my heart”
“It’s hard to locate, I try to connect my hand and my eyes. But when I find it, it’s very pleasant”
“A weird trip.”
“My heart fells like on a roller coaster”
“You know what interested me also? It’s the very tiny difference between the two object” ……..
My analysis:
The senses separation can evoke some physical and psychological reaction on human.
The difference of two object can be used to add some extra surprise.
2. Let people touch those two texture replica while looking at the painting.
Result:
Most people have similar feeling as they touch those jars and rolls.
When the object is a painting, people have some exception of the touch. They will try to locate one area: for example a big dot.
The difference between the two textures: The plaster texture feels more like the original painting. While with the eco latex, people feel “more”.
New step: Textures and surprise
Underneath the curtain, is the original painting with a little piece of artificial fur.
How did people feel: Some didn’t find the fur at the beginning. Most of people touched it after I moved it to a area closer to the entrance of hand.———————-So, location matters.
“I felt like I am travelling in the painting slowly and the softer furry thing was out of my expectation.”
“Somehow it helps me to understand how people create paintings.”
“I was looking at the painting, and touch the thing underneath so carefully, and suddenly I touched that fur. It feels like a pubic hair, I was scared for a second, then it was great.”
The exhibition: six paintings about six emotions which was going on inside of me these days. People get to touch something when they are looking at each paintings. I play with materials to give an experience of senses separation through different emotions.
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some examples: (left - paintings, right - hidden textured replicas)
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some examples: (left - paintings, right - hidden textured replicas)
