Balfour, Barbara2015-08-282015-08-282015-04-232015-08-28http://hdl.handle.net/10315/30076Bodies, inclusive of flesh|bodies and object|bodies, show the wear brought upon them by physical labour; the particularity of their history engrained upon the skin|surface of both sentient and non-sentient entities. Although the discrete life experienced by the object|body cannot be recalled mnemonically, the developments on a surface can be partially decoded, revealing an archive of gestures brought about purposefully and incidentally. Without the capacity for verbal expression, the archive of marks left on the object|body’s surface cannot be relayed as a narrative of events. Instead, it is left to those with flesh|bodies to seek an understanding through touch. As touch binds two bodies together through gesture, they merge and dissolve the boundaries of their singularity, momentarily entering into shared understanding. In this way, the archive of trace left on surface is an ongoing experience of the labour that created it, perpetuating the act by grafting present and past together.enAuthor owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Art criticismElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2015-08-28PrintmakingTouchEmpathyArtSculptureBookmakingThe body