There’s More to It Than Meets the Eye

Imagine this scene: a mother in a dress and her son, in a t-shirt and shorts, are enjoying the sun while standing in a hilly park. To their left is a singular flower bush, and to their right is a medium-sized rock. Now that you have this image in your mind, or perhaps have drawn it out on a piece of paper, how certain can you be that this is the scene I am thinking of? Regardless of how detailed my description is, can you ever truly replicate the image I am describing? Furthermore, how important is it for you to understand the image exactly as it is?

Due to the highly subjective nature of imagination, it is highly unlikely that two listeners, hearing the same exact narration, will conceive of the same image in their minds. With visually unimpaired individuals, there is typically less debate on the subject of the painting—since they are presented with and understand visually the same artwork—and a stronger focus on the interpretation. However, if the paint, the medium interpreted by sighted individuals, is subjective too, conflicts in understanding may arise before the debate surrounding interpretation. We must question, therefore, how much does this change the experience of art? 

The official MOMA audio description of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night features a cheery voice detailing the artist, size, context, noticeable features, colors, and curator’s interpretation of the work. Splitting the painting into thirds, the narrator highlights the tell-tale features of this painting: “the crescent moon and starry night sky” with the characteristic “swirling light blue bands” suggesting “a tempestuous wind” that sweeps the “rolling hills” dotted with a dozen rooftops. This narration focuses heavily on the style of painting Van Gogh adopted, discussing how he applied the paint, the brushstrokes the artist uses, and the specific colors and color transitions in different areas of the painting.

But how useful is this information to someone who is colorblind or has been visually impaired their entire life? Knowing the color of each part of the painting may be useful in constructing an understanding of the painting, but if color is used to evoke emotion or somehow subvert a scene a visually unimpaired individual may have seen, does knowing color add meaning? 

Therefore, we must question what matters more in a narration: an exact description with colors, features, and technique explicitly stated or a discussion of the meaning and potential interpretations based on features of the painting. To answer this question, we should turn to the experience of visually impaired individuals. One Redditor in r/Blind, when prompted with the question “What does Art mean to you?” answered, “Nowadays, art for me has a lot to do with harmony. I can see very little and I don't think I can truly appreciate works of painted and drawn art, but it is pleasing to see harmonic colors and lines even if all I can see is a blurry shape here and there.” While understanding that human experience is unique and differs for every individual, this Redditor’s post seems to reflect the experience of other Redditors in the r/Blind subreddit. Therefore, audio descriptions of paintings should include both a description of the artwork, including colors and important features, and an explanation of the context and other facts that can aid in interpretation. The goal of the narration, however, should not be to describe, but rather to foster understanding by highlighting harmonic and clashing colors, features that subvert expectations, and characteristics essential for interpreting the painting.

Through the use of technology, museums worldwide are developing ways to this type of narration to visually impaired people. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has partnered with Microsoft to use Copilot, the Microsoft AI Assistant, to enhance descriptions in the museum. Microsoft’s AI will allow the museum to produce accurate and detailed descriptions of over one million pieces in only “a matter of hours,” a huge difference from the hour previously required to write descriptions for each artwork. Copilot was put through a series of inclusive design testing sessions with visually impaired individuals, and the suggestions from “people who rely on and benefit most from descriptions” sculpted the machine learning model. This partnership hopes to inspire an “estimated 95,00 museums” to further prioritize art accessibility.

The Rijksmuseum has long been considered a pioneer in its initiatives to integrate accessibility in art, including its “open-source IP and programs” that have helped overcome barriers of access that prevent disabled individuals from attending and enjoying museums. One of their most notable programs is With Other Senses, a tour for people who are blind or visually impaired. Focused on “activating your non-visual senses,” the Rijksmuseum offers tours to help visitors understand artworks in the museum in a new light. 

One visitor on this “olfactory tour for blind and near-sighted people at the Rijksmuseum” had the opportunity to use “especially designed scent necklaces,” and another participant recounted that she “instantly felt transported” into the story behind the painting “because of the scent” from the necklaces. Furthermore, when given the opportunity to hold a piece of jewelry, a visitor recounted, “I clearly remember that silver piece of jewelry. Maybe because we both smelled it and were able to hold one in our hands.” 

It seems, therefore, that one of the best ways for visually impaired people to understand artwork is to utilize all of the senses, including touch. Tactile Images brings paintings and artworks to life through “3D, tactile renderings of images to deliver visual information to the brain through an enhanced, completely accessible, kinesthetic experience.” Paired with braille and sensors that provide a customized touch-activated narrative, the 3D artwork creates an interactive experience for visually impaired individuals. 

To design such artworks, Tactile Images first imports a 2D image of a painting into their patented technology to “digitally sculpt” the painting into a 3D representation. Then, braille is integrated into the painting to convey important information about the painting, artist, or other notable features. Touch-activated sensors are placed throughout the painting to supplement the senses and foster a greater understanding of the painting. Combining the tactile and auditory, Tactile Images ensures that visually impaired individuals are able to use their senses to understand artworks and do not have to “rely on secondhand interpretations,” allowing them to create “a genuine experience on par with that of a sighted individual.”

Tactile Images’ partnership with Getty Images allows individuals to curate their own collection of images and receive their own version of these tactile artworks, ensuring that art accessibility extends beyond museums and exhibitions. Through their simple three-step program, anyone can have access to a tactile exhibition, simply by selecting images from Getty Images, meeting with the team at Tactile Images, and approving the plans. With such a strong focus on ensuring easy access to these tactile images, their partnership with The Nebraska Initiative ensures that numerous institutions across the state, as well as many traveling exhibitions, focus on “mainstreaming accessibility in cultural spaces.” Tactile Images’ work in Nebraska “serves as a guide for other states to make their museums more inclusive, reflecting the diverse needs of all communities.”

Technology enables the transformation of an artwork into an experience that removes the necessity of sight. By engaging the other senses and putting accessibility at the forefront of the museum experience, we are able to appreciate art as a connecting experience that brings humanity, no matter one’s disabilities, together. The eye-catching title of the Microsoft article detailing the partnership between themselves and the Rijksmuseum ​​is more than just a gimmick to reel in readers but instead the truth about art and accessibility: “Access to art is a human right.” 

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(Cover Image: A blind visitor interacting with a 3D tactile image of Emanuel Leutze’s Crossing the Delaware as created by Tactile Images, via The Butler Institute of American Art)