Bobbi Mastrangelo and several colleagues appear in the WUCF-TV Artisode filmed at Winter Park’s Polasek Sculpture Museum.  The PBS special was aired Thursday, Feb. 18th 2016.

 Bobbi Mastrangelo with “Con Edison Concert”

“Sight Unseen: Touchable Sculpture” curated by Rachel Frisby is such a unique exhibition that it caught the attention of Buddy Pittman, Video Content Producer at WUCF- TV.

On Monday, January 25th Buddy and Mark Greenwald, The Video Producer interviewed the Curator, Rachel Frisby, Amy Wieck, Bobbi Mastrangelo, Byron Walker, Susan Menand and Kameron Lannan about how their art fit the touchable concept. They also filmed Amanda, Kameron’s Mother, to give a blind person’s experience with the art at The Albin Polasek Sculpture Museum in Winter Park, Florida.  The Artworks are shown below.  When you watch the WUCF-TV Video, you will feel as though you already know the sculptors.

368 fingers and 5-1/2 feet by Amy Wieck

Amy Wieck : “368 fingers and 5-1/2 feet” was created for Sight Unseen: Touchable Sculpture as a tactile experience that any attendee could enjoy on different levels. Visually the fingers become a pattern. To the touch, they become a texture. As the attendees run their hands across the piece, the flexibility of the silicone and the fact that they are fingers creates the sensation of being touched back. Hence, this becomes the sculpture that touches you back. The shape of the fingertips are reminiscent of the braille system and although no word was intended with the position of the fingers it is up to the “viewer” as to whether the pattern creates a word or two in braille. After all the meaning of art is ultimately up to the viewer visually impaired or not.”

“368 Fingers” (close-up)

Amy Wieck: “8 sculptors (spouse’s of sculptors too) gathered to make this pieces. It was a bonding experience and lots of fun. The lifecasting portion took 2 to 3 hours one afternoon and the group looked as if they were in a football huddle while the material took up to 15 minutes to set up in each of the 3 sections. Days later, after the silicone was cast into the life casting material, the sculptors were trying to identify their fingers and could not resist touching the piece.”

Byron Walker cozy in his “Hosey Chair”

Byron Walker’s Hosey Chair was very popular.  So many museum visitors felt the texture, sat in the chair and had photos taken.  And yes you guessed its composition: entwined garden hoses…actually about 1255 feet of garden hoses.

“Green Sea Turtle” by Susan Menand

Susan Menand’s “Green Sea Turtle” is composed of recycled materials: fused plastics, bags, water bottles, wrappers, over recycled chicken wire and buckets for the pedestal.  Susan was inspired by the plight of sea turtles here in Florida that mistake ocean borne plastic bags for jelly fish (their primary food source), ingest them and die. Susan felt that we could draw attention to this alarming problem that is often times “unseen.”  Museum Visitors touch the bubble wrap on the Turtle Shell and contemplate how we can protect our endangered Sea Turtles.

Moma by Kameron Lannan

Kameron Lannan’s mosaic sculpture is based on one of her drawings.  For “Unseen Art,” she created her giraffe in a tactile format so her blind mother, Amanda, would be able to experience this art for herself. In the WUCF Video, Kameron, who is also a musician, explains how her “Moma” giraffe appealed to her Mother through touch. In turn, Amanda shared her positive response to touching and experiencing the sculptures.

“WUCF Artisodes” are a weekly arts and culture feature.  Each episode airs on Thursday at 8:00 PM.  A local artist or initiative is featured as well at stories from across the nation. “Sight Unseen: Touchable Sculpture” at the Polasek Museum aired on Thursday, February 18th at 8:00 PM and can now be viewed on You Tube.

“Touchable Sculpture” Exhibit at the Polasek continues through April 17, 2016.  Background information on The Polasek Exhibit:

https://bobbimastrangelo.com/MyNews/mastrangelos-con-ed-and-orlando-with-touchable-sculpture-at-the-polasek-museum-now-through-april-17-2015/

Your comments about the Artisode or Museum Visit are welcome:

Here is the Artisode by WUCF-TV: