The artist's freedom of hand is seen to bring him or her close to making an authentic gesture. Hands on Because of this closeness, there is always risk involved in engaging with hands. Hands-off devices are partly justified by the high rate of hand injury in the workplace. Nowadays, with the salience given to AIDS, the possibility of contagion through hand contact further distances the hand from its previous involvement in the material world. There is a measure of safety in this action at a distance.
Hands are particularly vulnerable instruments for reading the world.
Unlike the LED readouts on electronic devices, their input cannot be kept in store and regarded at leisure. One of the implications of this kind of immediate hands-on involvement is that an exploration of the world becomes a journey which puts the subject at risk. This risk increases awareness of the world. You are the root of groping fingers. It is a fine hour for the fingers, their sense of touch so enhanced.