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.