The blind spot

The blind spot is part of the retina at the back of the eye where the optic nerve leaves the eye. The blind spot of E. started to ‘float’ at a young age, so he had to look past it. By the death of the rods and cones in his eyes he became colour blind and the contours of shapes faded. In the meantime, his residual vision is blurred and drab by the cataract. Because of the nystagmus his eyes are shaking because they are constantly searching for light and information. In other words: E. is blind.

I have made photographs in which E. vision is the starting point. These photographs are a stand-alone image in which the viewer can make his own story. The title of this series of photographs also refers to the blind spot that sighted people have, as they often look selectively and superficially. My experience is that visually impaired people generally perceive better than sighted people. They feel, ask and dive into matter. So the question is: who suffers most from their blind spot?

We are observers of our own reality and our perceptions influence our reality. Everything can look different based on the perspective from which it is viewed. If we look at things from a different perspective, previously invisible things become visible. Superficial appearances seem to matter less.