Paige Eitner-Vosloo
Artist Catalogue
Virtual Exhibition
Seen Eyes, Unseen Eyes and Unseeing Eyes – The Blindness In Sight
Elkins emphasises the act of seeing as being blurred and clotted with our predispositions as people. Inevitably our world will be and is being constantly crowded with opinions which seep into our sight. What we see and what we think we see is not the same thing. The title of this body of work speaks to James Elkins’ examination of the blindness in sight, which we all possess but are often not aware of. My practice has embodied this philosophy while questioning the limitations of image legibility within screen printing. It is impossible to ‘just look’ at an image and not question its origin, meaning or impact. However, in today's world, we are so bombarded by imagery that we have become numb to the experience and empathetic nature which images ask of us, specifically images of heartache, struggle and violence. The accumulation of image masses have resulted in the distancing of the viewer from the image and its intention.
What makes an image an image? Is it the colours, the way they are set out next to each other? Do there need to be recognisable elements that the viewer can identify in order to make sense of the composition? Does deflected seeing exist, and are we aware of it? If so, what can be done? Perhaps our minds shut out some elements of imagery because they are too difficult to see, to imagine, or to place ourselves within that context. Looking at tabloid images of celebrities or the latest trends isn’t difficult or challenging, perhaps even enjoyable. However, as soon as we are confronted with images of war, famine or loss, we tend to turn a blind eye. One explanation for this that has revealed itself in my practice is that we tend to place ourselves in the situation we see. It is easy to image oneself living the high life, surrounded by luxury and glamour, but to imagine oneself starving, watching loved ones die, or having one’s home taken away from them? This seems to be a reality that is difficult to comprehend. A reality so uncomfortable and unwanted that we become blind to the image we see, which suggests a reality we do not want to imagine for ourselves or anyone else.
The prints used images from 2022, which captured a variation of events from around the world, showing the loss, sadness and death which occurred on a daily basis. These images, if shown in their entirety and original form, would most likely conjure a sense of discomfort and leave the viewer upset after entering the gallery space. This leaves viewers to question their own reality. If we put distance between ourselves and what we see, it more often than not comes into clear view but reminds us with every step further back we take that it is easier to see something from a distance and sympathise for a while before we swiftly move on without a second thought. There is knowing blindness, which some might call ignorance, and there is learnt blindness which we are all predisposed to, based on the nature of our upbringing and growth as people.
As Elkins puts it plainly, “no matter how hard we look, we see very little of what we look at”. Blindness is right there in the act of seeing itself, working to ensure that some things are not seen. All we can try and do is see in spite of ourselves.