Elle Staron | Kandinsky: re/Touch
“Rose with Gray”
Rose with Gray (1924), housed at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, is a dynamic abstract work by Wassily Kandinsky that features overlapping geometric forms, a central translucent circle, and rhythmic lines. Reflecting Kandinsky’s synesthetic vision, the piece evokes the interplay of sound and color through visual harmony and movement.
Kandinsky
1924
Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian painter and art theorist, widely recognized as one of the pioneers of abstract art. Born in 1866, he initially studied law and economics before devoting himself to painting, driven by a belief that art should express the inner emotional and spiritual world rather than merely represent the external one. Kandinsky’s work goes beyond the visual aspects of art; he saw painting as a form of visual music, capable of conveying mood, movement, and energy through color and form. Deeply influenced by music and his own experience with synesthesia, a condition where the senses overlap, he perceived sounds as colors and visual compositions as harmonies. This unique sensory perception led him to create works that aimed to resonate with viewers on a deeper, more emotional level, transforming the act of viewing art into a multisensory and introspective experience.
Intro and Process
This reinterpretation of Wassily Kandinsky’s Rose with Gray offers a multi-sensory experience that engages both sight and touch, creating an immersive and inclusive way to interact with art. Using plexiglass, wooden inlays, and stained glass, the work reimagines the abstract painting as a tactile and light-based form. Transparent surfaces combined with backlighting enhance contrast to support low-vision engagement. Designed to become part of the Nelson-Atkins Museum’s Blind Touch Tours, this work aims to broaden access and offer new ways of connecting with art, ultimately contributing to ongoing efforts to expand how art can be experienced.
Rose with Gray | re/Touch
In collaboration with Haptic 9 and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, I developed a tactile reinterpretation of Wassily Kandinsky’s Rose with Gray to make visual art more accessible to individuals with visual impairments. The work explores how sensory experiences, particularly touch, can serve as an immersive means of artistic engagement.
Kandinsky’s synesthesia, in which sound and color were inherently intertwined, inspired a multisensory approach. My version preserves the original dimensions of the painting. The central circle is emphasized using stained glass, evoking the transparent layering in the original. Solder lines guide the hand like a dimensional drawing, allowing tactile exploration of form and space.
Materials such as plexiglass, stained glass, and wooden inlays were chosen for their tactile qualities and ability to transmit light. The piece is backlit to enhance contrast and legibility for low-vision audiences. A double-sided design enables multiple users to interact with the work simultaneously, addressing common accessibility limitations identified through my experience with the museum’s Blind Touch Tour.
This project challenged me to translate visual language into tactile form while honoring the spirit of the original. It deepened my understanding of inclusive design and expanded my perspective on how art can be experienced beyond sight.
Meet Elle
Elle Staron
Foundation | Product Design
Elle Staron is a first-year student at the Kansas City Art Institute, preparing to join the Product Design department in the fall. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, she comes from a background in painting and is currently exploring the intersection of design, accessibility, and sensory experience. As an intern with The Haptic 9 Co., Elle is particularly interested in haptics and making art more inclusive for all audiences.
re/Touch: The Feel of Art
A partnership with the Kansas City Art Institute and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
“Elle brings a category-defining focus on craftsmanship in her work. She is deeply thoughtful, collaborative and highly coachable, with a strong eye for execution.”
Keith Kirkland
CEO, The Haptic 9 Co.