Do (Not?) Touch the Artwork!

Texture

Texture is an often overlooked quality in art. Texture gives art depth and dimension beyond what color and contrast can do. It is a quality that we can see, of course, but there is also something very tactile about it. And this is what is so unique about texture. Your eyes can see color and recognize perspective, but texture is something that is meant to be understood through touch. Yet when it comes to art, we’ve always been told you can look, but you can’t touch.

Well at least some of us have...

Um… What is she doing?

I vividly remember being at a small art show a few years where I saw a woman touching the artwork. (My face: 😳) She was so intrigued by these highly textured paintings that she just ran her hands right over the canvases! I was honestly shocked because I had never seen someone do this in public. As I watched her, I realized she was completely unaware of the faux pas she was committing. Maybe she had never been to a museum or an art show. And then, as I thought about it more, I actually began to appreciate her innocent and genuine curiosity about the artwork. How wonderful to be blissfully unaware of the social norms around art.

I understand why we can’t touch the artwork at a museum or an art gallery, but it does seem a bit of a shame that we are prevented from fully experiencing art in that way.

touch the artwork!

Ok, well maybe don’t touch the artwork at a museum or a gallery. But if you really have that urge, you can always collect artwork for your own home that you can touch anytime. For example, the piece in the photo below is a commissioned painting that I created for a private client. It is a 7 foot high painting that hangs in their dining room, and because I always varnish my paintings, they can touch it without ruining it. :)

Have you ever wanted to touch a painting at a museum? Have you ever actually done it??