THE POSSIBILITIES OF ART EDUCATION FOR THE BLIND

THE POSSIBILITIES OF ART EDUCATION FOR THE BLIND

Future Reflections Fall 1991
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THE POSSIBILITIES OF ART EDUCATION FOR THE BLIND

by Kristy Bird.
There are many reasons to teach children art. In elementary schools, for

instance, studio art allows children to free their imagination. Sometimes it

gives an alternative to academic achievement. Furthermore, art appreciation

reinforces other subjects such as history and the study of other cultures. These

reasons for teaching art to sighted children are viable reasons for blind

children as well.
Art Education for the Blind, a non-profit organization affiliated with the

Whitney Museum of American Art, is dedicated to making art accessible to people

of all ages. Directed by its founder, Elisabeth Salzhauer Axel, the AEB staff

works extensively with psychologists, artists, and educators to meet this

challenge. AEB combines their research on the possibilities of sound and touch

with modern technology to produce a variety of audible and tactile teaching

materials.

AEB bases its tactile models on the research of several perceptual

psychologists. John Kennedy of the University of Ontario studies the best means

of communicating pictures to the blind. In his words, "blind people are

intuitively capable of understanding the visual world, even without training or

education". Since art is the articulation of the shapes and spaces of the world

around us and the expression of our inner thoughts and emotions, we can all

understand art, given the proper tools.

Kennedy proved that congenitally blind people understand complex visual

concepts. His students use a writing kit with a malleable rubber sleeve to touch

drawings and to draw their own. Not only were his students able to identify

basic shapes, they understood composite scenes such as landscapes or room

interiors. They also identified metaphors, such as changing the shape of a car's

wheel to suggest motion, and stick figures which express different emotions,

events, or character (as curved spine suggests old age). Using a sharp object to

raise lines on the rubber sleeve, Kennedy's students were able to draw outlines

of basic shapes, detailed figures, and even converging lines to show depth.

AEB's first projects were the creation of three-dimensional models of

famous works of art. Claude Monet's "Rouen Cathedral" for example, can be

explained using two different approaches. One approach defines the shape of the

Cathedral, which is the embodiment of Gothic architecture. With raised line

drawings or three-dimensional textured models, students begin to understand the

outline of the painting's main shapes and how the Cathedral relates to history

and culture.

The second approach explains the artist's style of painting. Monet was an

impressionist interested in light and color effects. By placing different

colored dots of paint next to each other instead of blending the colors,

Impressionists created a whole new art style. For instance, blue and yellow dots

look green when placed close together. Since color and light are purely visual

concepts, AEB uses raised dots of different textures which, when combined, feel

like a whole new texture.

Surprisingly, an approach with sound uses a similar method of separate and

combined tones. Louis Giansante, an award-winning sound artist, recreates the

space, shapes, style, and emotional content of paintings and architecture.

Giansante relates impressionism to a musical chord. Chords sound like one

complete tone when all their notes are played simultaneously. When the notes are

played separately, on the other hand, each tone sounds individually. Thus, the

visual effects of "Rouen Cathedral" can also be communicated by sound. Giansante

can also demonstrate the soaring height of the Cathedral by recording the echoes

of its interior.

Although three-dimensional tactile models (such as the "Rouen Cathedral"

example above) are successful, they are usually too large, fragile, and

expensive for wide distribution. With the help of new technology, AEB will be

able to reach a larger audience at lower costs. Computers are now being used to

create raised lines and a variety of textures. Some programs and printers use a

relief process similar to embossing while others use a plastic ink. Originally

used for Braille texts, the programs were expanded to produce texture maps. AEB

then took the programs into an entirely new frontier, art.

Such technology enables AEB to develop its latest projects, an

architectural book for children and a supplement for art history/appreciation

books. The book for children contains raised-line drawings of seven famous

monuments, including the Empire State Building and the Parthenon. The monuments

relate to their historical time periods and the culture that influenced them.

While the language of this project is geared toward children, it can be enjoyed

by interested adults as well.

The art appreciation supplement, authored by Dr. Paula Gerson, is an

in-depth discussion of the major movements in the history of art. The supplement

does not simply translate every renowned work of art, rather it aims at

elucidating the major stylistic differences. The supplement also includes

innovative sound compositions, a teacher's manual, and exam material for credit.

In the four years since its inception in 1987, AEB has been busy creating

and testing the many possibilities of art education with sound and touch.

Although Art Education for the Blind is far from being in the mainstream, it has

already begun to work closely with the Whitney Museum of American Art; the

Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Ringling Museum. The art history text

book supplement and the architectural book will soon be available for individual

use. Please note that AEB's tools are also enjoyed by sighted people who want to

explore art in a new, exciting way. To reach AEB, please write or call: Art

Education for the Blind, 935 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10021; (212)

879-5100.
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