Claude Heath

Since the 1990s, the British artist Claude Heath has devoted himself to unusual drawing methods. Blindfolded, he touches objects with one hand while drawing his haptic impressions with the other hand. The process ends as soon as he reopens his eyes. His works reveal a connection between touching and drawing.

The Schering Stiftung Collection includes six works from the series Archaeological Drawings (2010). They were created during an art residency at the Teleorman County Museum in southern Romania. Heath had been invited, together with other artists, to participate in a research project dedicated to studying a prehistoric village from both artistic and scientific perspectives. Coming into contact with prehistoric objects such as flint tools, Heath developed a new technique to capture them graphically. He placed the objects in a self-built, curtained-off box without having seen or received any information about them. Heath then used these very objects to make incisions, scratches, and pressure marks on the paper. This resulted in images that he later described as “tactile drawings.”

For the Universe (2005) series, Heath used 3D glasses to influence his perception. Based on stellar and celestial charts, he created drawings in space. To do so, he used a pen that was connected to a computer and that created an animated version of Heath’s markings and dots. His drawings were then superimposed onto the astronomical maps underlying the drawing act.

Heath’s works are united by an unconventional drawing act whereby the artist either manipulates or, by covering his eyes, obstructs his visual perception. The artist employs these methods to uncouple the drawing and cognitive process from habits and stereotypes and to consciously tune out artistic beliefs and expectations.