In his blog, Alex asked: Do you think that tactile art will find popularity in the future? Why or why not
Personally, I think the concept of tactile art is fascinating. It is the logical extension of art into another sense. Yet, I do not believe that tactile art can gain popularity in the modern world, at least in America. As a nation, we are becoming complete germ phobics. If you don't believe it, walk around a public environment. Chances are that you'll see hand sanitizer dispensers mounted on the walls and signs educating you on the right way to wash your hands or cover a cough or sneeze. We've become obsessed with stopping the spread of germs. Our compulsion makes sense. SARS followed by Avian Influenza followed by Pig Flu have made most of us fearful of getting sick. Yet, it dooms tactile art. Everyone who experiences a tactile art piece will have to, by definition, touch the piece. Billions of germs will be present on the piece within an hour. Would you want to touch it immediately after the person who just sneezed all over his or her hands?
Art engages our senses. Music engages hearing. Visual art engages vision. Tactile art engages touch. Culinary art engages taste. Is there a future for art that engages our sense of smell?
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