Oct 7, 2008

Printmaking with blind and visually impaired people

On Saturday we volunteered at the Association for the Blind and visually impaired, I brought some of my plates for people to pirnt them on a press that is basically what we use to make tortillas.

More than what we had to offer to the event was what I got from the experience of working with people for whom the world I take for granted is completelly different. It was a wonderful experience that let me to reevaluate many things that I don't even question or even stop and think about them anymore.


Forcing my self into trying to "see" the things I'm most familiar with, from a non visual perspective was very insightful. Having to describe the paper, it's color, texture and size, the press, its mechanism, the whole process.
Going form a non touch to an absoulutely touch mode was very liberating aftef living in this culture for more than 8 years.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to learn from this worl I've never had contact with.

In a non visual world all the other senses play a very important role and the common world just seems to slow down, there is no hurry, no pushing around, just stop and listen, touch, sense... and everything I took for granted sudenlly takes a different perspective.


Happy 90th Anniversary!