Art Felt

Given that Henry Moore once defined a sculptor as one "obsessed with the form and shape of things… [of] anything and everything," he might be duly surprised to find that nowadays, sculpture is largely an artform designed only to be looked at. Understanding the texture of a piece through scrutiny cannot compare to touching it — hence the worn feet of statues the world over, not to mention the shiny rim of the Liberty Bell.

The appeal of feel is understood by Carol Wisker, manager of accessible programs at the PMA. A 30-year-old program, under her care, introduces blind and visually impaired people to art through touch tours of many exhibitions and, more radically, through a course of art lessons, coaching students in the use of art materials and technique. Most of what they create is in three dimensions, ensuring sensory and spatial exploration for blind and sighted viewers; a totem pole, stuffed and standing 12 feet high, is just one example of this year’s creations. The beauty of this program, which culminates in a show of the students’ tactile work entitled Form In Art, is that, technique notwithstanding, the results draw on untapped reserves of expression, without influence from the mainstream.

—Juliet Fletcher

Form in Art runs May 18-July 8, 2001, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th and the Parkway, 215-763-8100.