Mona Lisa Tactile Image

Part of a wider collection of tactile images for blind and partially sighted people, these 3D printed versions of the Mona Lisa are designed to be understood through touch. Designed to be printed at a variety of machines, the complete work is accompanied by cropped and simplified versions to allow for usable prints on small beds. In addition, a tactile version of the embroidery featured along the portraits neck and a flattened version of the repeating motif, offers access to a detail that would otherwise be omitted from similar tactile works because of size constraints.

Created in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a PhD at the University of Huddersfield, the thesis includes resources and information to aid in the design and creation of tactile images from both a professional and engaged amateur audience.

“The intertwining contexts of this thesis are perhaps most apparent when discussing work which spans the breadth of multiple distinct registers, that is, when mechani