Topics

   


1.	Pictures give us "impressions"  e.g. of depth at an edge, or
the shapes of the edges of foreground surfaces.

2.	Could a tangible line give us an impression of a
foreground surface?  Would the impression change if the
line was taken to show a profile on one side of the line Ð
that is, a foreground surface on one side of the line Ð and
later a profile on the other side of the line?

3.	Rubin found sighted subjects often do not recognize a
given line on its second appearance if the profile is seen
first on one side and then on its second appearance, later,
on the other side.  He said the "figureÐground" reversal
impairs recognition (and by figureÐground he meant
foregroundÐbackground).

4.	Occasionally, blind subjects report tangible pictures give
them "impressions" of 3ÐD (figures 8.1, 8.2, & 8.3).

5.	To test whether tangible outline pictures that might yield
figureÐground impressions would affect recognition,
profiles of faces (figure 8.4) were given as raised lines to
Scot.  He was given outline drawings with foreground and
background assigned.  He did not report an outline with
foregroundÐbackground assignment reversed on its second
appearance was an outline drawing he had had previously.
6.	Blind children from Calgary did not recognize a display as
"previouslyÐpresented" if had a different figureÐground
assignment on its second presentation.

7.	Evidently, there are similar effects on recognition
produced by figureÐground reversal in vision and touch. 
Therefore, there may be similar "impressions" of
foreground and background, and
depthÐatÐaÐdepictedÐedge, in vision and touch.

8.	Patterns made of lines can convey abstract relationships,
and show expressive postures.  Kathy N. (of Ottawa) drew
a corral with a gate, and a lock on the inside, for
"marriage", conveying abstract relationships (figure 8.5)
stick figures can show expressive postures (figure 8.6).

9.	Six pairs of referents for pairs of highlyÐabbreviated stick
figures, known as "twig figs", were presented to blind and
sighted subjects.  They were recognized at about the same
high rate (over 85%) by blindfolded subjects and blind
subjects (aged 12 and older).

10.	Since blind people recognize a wide variety of pictures,
and may have "pictorial impressions of depth", pictures are
not likely to be merely matters of convention.  The fact
that recognizable pictures using outline are found in cave
art sites (parietal art sites) throughout the world is another
reason for doubting the "convention" thesis.  Rather,
evolution developed a capacity for pictures, and only a few
decades of thousands of years ago was this evolutionary
spinoff put to use by pictures.  The convention thesis
cannot explain why drawings that are recognizable can be
made by people (sighted or blind) at their first attempt.

11.	The key capacity for outline is the capacity to treat a pair
of contours as involving a single axis (figures 8.7 & 8.8).

12.	Pictures use elements such as pairs of contours of lines,
finding abstract relations, or axes.  Similarly, in music,
pairs of notes can be perceived as having particular
relations e.g. a pair of notes separated by an octave are
perceived as related.  (An octave relationship holds
between two notes of x and 2x cycles per second).

13.	Deaf subjects, including congenitally deaf subjects, found
pairs of tangible notes separated by an octave easier to
assess than notes separated by an interval that was not a
simple arithmetic multiple of an octave.  The notes were
60 vs 120 c/s (an octave), or 60 vs 103 or 60 vs 137.

14.	Some referents for drawings are matters of physical relief,
and so are easy to assess as correctly or incorrectly
depicted.  Others are perceptual states Ð "private
experiences".  These can only be assessed as matters of
agreement.  The referents can be pain or numbness for
example.  Blind subjects concur with the sighted on
pictorial devices for these referents (figure 8.9).  Indeed,
they concurred at rates above their level of agreement with
the sighted on devices showing motion of a thumb.  Thus,
the convention thesis fails even when psychological states
are depicted.

15.	In a study on devices for showing acceleration and steady
motion, the blind concurred with the sighted on a device
using spaces between arcs.  The density of the arcs was
usually taken as indicating the speed of the moving object. 
Although the sighted and the blind have been shown to
make similar judgements the basis for this substantial
agreement is unknown.

16.	Gabias and Kennedy (1984) found zigÐzags forming a
texture are deemed by blind and sighted subjects as
showing a hard surface, while sinusoidal lines forming a
similar texture are taken to show a soft surface.  Again the
reason is unclear.

17.	Art Education for the Blind (allied with the Whitney
Museum, N.Y.), lead by E. Axel, has taught about art
styles to the blind.  A cubist picture shows "Nude
Descending a Staircase" via a mechanicalÐappearing form. 
An auditory tape to accompany a discussion of this picture
provides footfalls sounding mechanical.  The style can
suggest life is mechanical Ð a powerful, ironic idea.

18.	Pictures can convey basic impressions, and highly abstract
ideas too, to both the blind and the sighted, for reasons
that remain elusive in some respects.


 

This page was designed and is maintained by William Barek, CITD - Bladen Library.
E-mail: barek@macpost.scar.utoronto.ca