We Only Touch

 "We Only Touch"

8.5 x 11 acrylic paint and flower petals on white paper


"We forget that touch is not only basic to our species, but key to it."

(Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses, p. 78).


    For this piece, I was inspired by the connections and interactions that take place between two humans. We usually communicate verbally, but often times words can get in the way of truly expressing what we feel. We tend to forget that we can also use touch to convey our thoughts and feelings with others. 

    I began this piece by finger-painting two different colors on either side of the space to represent two different beings. I painted my fingertips and pressed them down on one side, and then painted the fingertips of my significant other and pressed them on the opposite side. I used the red for the fingerprints on the purple side, and purple for the fingerprints on the red side. This conveys that we are connected and able to understand each other's feelings through touch. The middle section of the piece is a blend of red and purple to indicate that the two beings are successfully getting through to each other and harmonizing. I added flower petals on each side to signify peace and intimacy. Touch is essential in communication as we can sometimes forget the right words, but we never forget how to touch. 

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