Altered Classics III. Tales From Shakespeare 1989

Curator: Here we have Harriet Bart's "Altered Classics III. Tales From Shakespeare," created in 1989. It's a photographic print focusing on paper. What are your first impressions? Editor: Woah, instantly serene! The textured, sepia tones, kind of monastic with all the little dots of Braille. It’s got a hushed, reverential quality, like I've stumbled upon a forgotten holy book. Curator: Yes! The choice to use Braille invokes a certain reverence for language, especially considering its context – Shakespeare. Bart's work often explores the accessibility and interpretation of narratives. This particular work really speaks to that concept. Editor: It’s intriguing to me how Bart altered a visual medium with tactile information. I feel this kind of invites this cross sensory reflection— the contrast of accessibility. Does this artwork comment on our dependency to a singular method to interpreting the world? Curator: I think so. Her conceptual approach throughout this “Altered Classics” series questions how meaning is created, circulated, and even restricted within culture. Consider how the subject matter, "Tales from Shakespeare," adds to the layering of accessibility and interpretation. Editor: Exactly. So we have already two degrees of abstraction at play here; a photography capturing the braille, that then retells already abstract “tales." I guess I keep thinking of accessibility... Do you think Bart would have felt successful, if every single gallery goer needed braille knowledge? Curator: It is a really great thought. Her engagement with material culture emphasizes touch, but the photograph adds another barrier of entry and shifts focus from direct tactile experience to symbolic representation. But beyond immediate communication, the artwork raises broader awareness of the varied methods of interacting with information. Editor: Makes you think. I feel it. Well, whatever her thoughts behind all those tactile bumps in photographic form are; its textural and historic qualities feel almost romantic. Thanks, Bart. Curator: A lovely encapsulation. Harriet Bart challenges us to reconsider how we engage with familiar narratives and how different forms of representation affect understanding.