Touch Response #2

Artificial Tongue

Air dry clay, Acrylic paint, Small brush

5 ½ in. long, 2 ¾ in. tall, 2 in. wide

“When experimenters tried to reverse the bad effects without the mother, they discovered that gentle stroking wouldn’t work, only very heavy stroking with a paintbrush that simulated the mother’s tongue; after that the pup developed normally.  Regardless of whether the deprived rats were returned to their mothers or stroked with paintbrushes by experimenters, they overreacted and required a great deal of touching, far more than they usually do, to respond normally.”

- Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of The Senses, p. 75

To rats, the tongue is like a third hand, they use it for more functions than just tasting food.  Rats groom each other as a form of companionship and dominance.  In groups of rats, rats can clean places on others that they cannot reach themselves, such as the base of the tail.  As the quote suggests, they also groom their young as a way to show affection and make the pinkies feel a sense of comfort.

By replacing the natural tongue with a paintbrush, I have essentially removed one of its most important social tools.  Because rats are very similar to humans with their high intelligence and complex social structures, this replacement of an appendage mirrors what would happen if the same thing were to happen to a human (which would void verbal communication, as well as other things).  By visualizing this new appendage, I hope that the sculpture invites the viewer to understand the impact of this touch-related experiment on other creatures and to also reflect on themselves.

Touch Response #1

Comfort is Nonhuman

Digital painting

“'We raise our children in a nontactile society and have to compensate with nonhuman creatures.  First with teddy bears and blankets, then with pets.  When touch isn’t there, our true isolation comes through.'”
- Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of The Senses, p. 121

Experiencing touch is a way of providing comfort and many things have been cultivated to appease this sense, such as pets and inanimate objects like stuffed animals.  However, these things aren’t a fluke or a temporary solution as the quote might suggest, as stuffed animals and blankets have only been getting softer as years go by and pet care is at an all-time high.  They are popular because in our society, touching other humans isn’t always sought after and having another person close isn’t always certain, and our society is accepting of that by still providing other options for all peoples.

In my illustration, I depicted a warm, inviting space full of the things mentioned in the quote accompanied by human-like figures in the background.  By putting the human representation distant in the background, I hope to convey the message that they are not always desired or dependable like their nonhuman counterparts.  Accompanying this, I made the cat, teddy bear, and bedding close and warm to bring forth the notion that they are acceptable options to provide that sense of comfort to those who prefer it.