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Denice: I know exactly what you mean and what you feel. You said it right: the uncontrollable urge. It's exactly that. Thank you for the Pietá story. Have you ever seen the original in the Vatican? It's (unfortunately) behind glass now because of a violator.

 

VegHead: gorgeous!! I really love the "I couldn't help myself" feeling. I have that so often. And, as you now, in a few years time one is so proud that one had the courage to do what emotions demanded. Good for you! I hope the alarm didn't ring?!!

 

Evelyne

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At a Monet exhibition, nose 3cm off the painting surface peering at the use of brushstrokes reflected in the directional lighting.

Became aware of someone standing very close to my right side, turned to face a guard looking at me.

No words,gave him a look that said 'but I wasn't touching it' and went back to my myopic peering.

No words, he left when I did.

 

Irene

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When at museums I keep my hands in my pockets or clasped behind my back as a reminder to myself NO TOUCHING. I'm the kind of person who touches and picks up everything in stores. Sometimes I like what I see and then hate it as soon as I feel it in my hands, promptly putting it back and wiping off the feel of it on my jeans.

 

I especially love fabric stores, where I touch everything. A few years ago I visited a quilt display at the county fair and with tears of appreciation in my eyes reached out to touch an incredible creation with raised embroidery ... just as my eye fell upon the "DO NOT TOUCH" sign. It was agonizing for me to walk through that display without touching any of the beautiful textiles.

 

I don't know how I'll handle it when I sell in person (currently I sell only online) but one of my plates I made specifically thinking of that country fair experience and I want whoever buys the plate to be unable to resist touching the detailed slip trailing that covers the surface.

 

Re: kids: I think if all kids were carefully trained to touch respectfully it would be a wonderful thing. Unfortunately you have no way of knowing what kind of child is approaching your work. My son is five years old. He's careful and respectful, and I still watch him carefully when around others' work and encourage him to keep hands in his pockets, because he's just like me. From the time he was three months old and started reaching for things, I gently guided his exploration of delicate or breakable items rather than forbidding it. He did not become a "grabber" and never ripped my earrings out, pulled my hair, tore up books, or broke things as a baby or toddler. He has a set of ceramic dishes with letters and animals that I made for him when he was three. He has never so much as chipped a single plate in two years of using them at every meal. That's better than me ... I break stuff all the time!

 

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I'm sorry, and not to be contentious, but am I the only one that's a little horrified by the blasé attitude being given towards inappropriately handling what are, in all honesty, priceless and irreplaceable works of art?

 

If everyone with an "uncontrollable urge" (which is absolutely controllable) were to touch these vases / bowls / paintings / whatever... They'd either have to be locked behind plexiglass or they'd be destroyed by now.

 

It's the same kind of carelessness that leads people to take flash photography of delicate manuscripts like those on display in the British Library, despite many of postings not to.

 

No matter if you are in complete reverent awe of a piece, or if you're a curious five year old child, these pieces belong to posterity and we all have a social obligation to preserve them.

 

In a gallery where handling is encouraged? Absolutely. Go for it. In The Louvre? Tie your hands behind your back if you have to.

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Rebekah: :lol:

 

Giselle: I like your comment here very very much. You tell us all about the urge to touch, and then explicitely NOT touch things people don't want to be touched, like the quilt you saw. Also what you wrote about your 5-year old son is so nice. If we learn kids to touch (when allowed), but touch carefully, gently, with full of admiration for the work the maker had with the piece, they'll learn a huge lesson for life. Thank you!

 

mregecko: no, of course you are not the only one who thinks one shouldn't touch things if it is forbidden. It really is a balancing act between the urge to touch and the knowledge that it is forbidden and tell that to the fingers. I don't think we serial touchers have a blasé attitude, as you write. The big bowl I touched in the MFA (and I couldn't control the urge!! because at that moment it wasn't even un urge, but I found it completely normal to touch that bowl. You could say the bowl wished or expected to be touched, actually) was standing free and without glass around it (so much for preservation). If it were really something that crumbles because of the people who touch it, they surely would put it behind glass. They must expect people to touch it! And there was no sign "don't touch"! Only the alarm that went off after I touched the inside. But I completely understand your sentiment! As I said, it's a balancing act. Here in the old world there are so many wood or stone statues of Saints in churches. Everybody touches the foot or the robe for luck or because of  superstition. The churches allow that, yes, they encourage people to do it. Why should that stop only because the statue is in a museum now instead of a church?

 

Evelyne

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I had a very long response typed up, but just deleted it because I cannot think of how to say my honest feelings without coming off aggressive or offensive. So I'll retreat from this discussion, and just say we have two points of view on this.

 

My point of view on "handling" museum work causes no potential danger to priceless works of art when you apply it to the millions of people through museums every year.

 

Can you say the same about your point of view?

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mregecko: the last thing I want with my "Question of the week"-questions is that somebody feels he or she cannot say what they think. It is really a pro and contra argument, and that makes this forum and this discussions so lively. It is sad that the point of view of another person (or persons) makes you angry. I thank you that you were so cautious and didn't post an aggressive or offensive response! We can either stop the discussion here, or, if you want to continue because it is important to you, you can email me (email address is in my profile). I just want to say that my touching things in museums happens only rarely, but the touching in the churches more often. And: not every person going through museums has the urge to touch, I think we are not so many. In any case surely not millions.

I hope to see you around again mregecko.

 

Evelyne

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Haha this post is brilliant.

I work as a gallery assistant in an Egyptological Museum in Swansea. We have a "board" with artefacts on that you can hold with gloves on.

In the British Museum in London you can go to a handling session of artefacts and hold them without the gloves on.

 

If for example though you are visiting a museum with a lot of its stuff not in a cabinet, i say touch it! but be careful! I have touched the face of Amenhotep III, Ptolemy I and Ptolemy! Very exciting stuff! 

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sparklingmango: thank you for the positiv response and for the encouragement to touch things in museums. Also that other museums have possibilities (and encourage people) to touch is great. If I'am in England one day, I will come to your museum!

 

I was a bit reluctant to answer this post because I don't want to hurt mregecko's feelings. He is totally against touching things. Tell me sparklingmango: are the pieces in your museum not protected with alarm systems? The big bowl I touched was standing free, not behind glass, and it still was protected with an alarm. Different museums handle this question very differently I guess.

 

Evelyne

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

 

Are you touching things in museums?

..................................'.........'....

 

 Yes, usually right before I'm slapped. Wait, are you referring to exhibits?

 

In that case, no, because I'm a guy. Guys get arrested, girls get à pass.

Pretty girls with a foreign accent get a pass and an apology...."We are sooo

sorry, but we just realized our "Do Not Touch" signs are in ENGLISH....Please

forgive our mistake!. Have a nice day!

 

143, :-)

See ya

Alabama

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I still get a thrill remembering a 20" wide Frimkess bowl on a pedestal which was fortunately in a gallery, not in a museum. I had once seen him laboriously thin the walls (all day!) of a huge porcelain vase, so I KNEW it would be light when I was drawn to lift it. And, oh, it WAS. Just heavenly. I drew a frown from the attendant, though.

 

Last year at the Calder show at LACMA I gently blew on some of the small mobiles and "encouraged" some large ones by fanning my program - they're Mobiles! The vigorous fanning required by a very large piece finally attracted the guard's attention (and embarrassed my companion) and I was firmly discouraged :-/

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