Unseen Art's 3D Mona Lisa. (Unseen Art photo)
BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- For centuries, people with limited vision have heard about artworks like the "Mona Lisa" through verbal description, imagining her famously bewitching smirk without the ability to experience Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece firsthand. Now, a Finnish software programmer wants to change the game, the Huffington Post reported.
The Unseen Art, a 3D print project, is the brainchild of Helsinki-based designer Marc Dillon, giving people who are blind a life-changing experience -- to touch and visualise iconic classical art such as the Mona Lisa and Van Gogh's sunflowers.
"We are crowdsourcing 3D artists to donate time to recreate classical paintings in 3D," Dillon explained. "The artist starts with a high-resolution scan or photograph of the painting, and then creates an interpretation of the work using 3D tools running on their computer. The artist aims to create depth in the art to make it easier for the hands to feel. Some details may be brought forward, and some may be simplified to highlight an impression of the painting."
This is not the first endeavor to make the art world more accessible to those who are visually impaired. The Guggenheim offers an app that provides in-depth descriptions of works to blind visitors. The Museum of Modern Art allows certain works, approved by conservators, to be touched by viewers wearing thin gloves. Organizations such as Art Beyond Sight advocate for accessibility and programming for the visually impaired as well.
3D printings bring art to people with vision disabilities
English.news.cn 2015-12-11 22:18:38
Unseen Art's 3D Mona Lisa. (Unseen Art photo)
BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- For centuries, people with limited vision have heard about artworks like the "Mona Lisa" through verbal description, imagining her famously bewitching smirk without the ability to experience Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece firsthand. Now, a Finnish software programmer wants to change the game, the Huffington Post reported.
The Unseen Art, a 3D print project, is the brainchild of Helsinki-based designer Marc Dillon, giving people who are blind a life-changing experience -- to touch and visualise iconic classical art such as the Mona Lisa and Van Gogh's sunflowers.
"We are crowdsourcing 3D artists to donate time to recreate classical paintings in 3D," Dillon explained. "The artist starts with a high-resolution scan or photograph of the painting, and then creates an interpretation of the work using 3D tools running on their computer. The artist aims to create depth in the art to make it easier for the hands to feel. Some details may be brought forward, and some may be simplified to highlight an impression of the painting."
This is not the first endeavor to make the art world more accessible to those who are visually impaired. The Guggenheim offers an app that provides in-depth descriptions of works to blind visitors. The Museum of Modern Art allows certain works, approved by conservators, to be touched by viewers wearing thin gloves. Organizations such as Art Beyond Sight advocate for accessibility and programming for the visually impaired as well.
