My Goal
My artistic pursuits this semester involved research into human vision, the relationship between vision and visual art, and theoretical verification of my art of focus. I received support from my mentor, professor Saul Nava. He has extensive knowledge of human vision, as well as a keen sense of art. He gave me guidance in understanding the science of vision and its relationship to art.
Before this semester, the style of my painting-Focus was based on my intuitive experience and discovery of visual essence. My paintings were an expression of my visual observations. Now under the guidance of p, I have strengthened my scientific understanding of human vision. The science of vision, supports my artistic concept- “Focus”, and confirms that my visual perception is correct.
Theory Research
Human Vision
How do our eyes observe the world? In general understanding, our eyes are capable seeing multiple things clear within certain depth and width at a time, in fact it is not right. Our eye has a thin layer around the back of eye ball, it is called Retina. There are many photoreceptor cells all over the retina. The role of these photoreceptor cells is to capture shape, color, motion and light and send signals to the brain through the optic nerve to form images. At the center of the Retina, there is a concave spot called the Fovea Centralis. The Fovea Centralis contains the largest concentration of photoreceptors cells and interprets objects with much more clarity than the rest of the Retina.
When we observe the world around us, all objects are captured in the retina. The clarity of what is seen depends on where it is captured on the Retina. Only those objects (or part of a large object) that are captured by the Fovea Centralis appear as clear. That is what we call focus. All other objects outside of the Fovea Centralis show the images, but they are not in focus, but vague. Only one object (or part of a large object) can land on the Fovea Centralis at a time, at any given moment.
Vision of Eyes – Objects through the lens of the eyes land on retina, that’s called “see”. The visual field of the human eye spans approximately 120 degrees of arc vertically and horizontally. But can we see the entire field clear? Answer is no. This visual field is Peripheral vision of the human eye (Figure a) this represents the scene captured by the retina which form images but are blurry. At the center of retina, there is fovea, it captures small area and form a clear image, that’s the only spot clear on our eye. (Figure b), and reference (1)
Peripheral vision of the human eye.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_span
Figure a
How Vision Works: Our Sense of Sight | Ask A Biologist (asu.edu) Figure b
Vision and Brain – The retina and fovea could not “see” objects by themselves, either blurry or clear. They must work with brain. The working principal is the retina and fovea capture the objects then send signals to brain through the optic never, the brain restore the images (figure c ). The retina capture the objects upside down, the brain turns them back to upright. The Key principal is, the brain restore a clear image that the signal sent by fovea, while restore blurry images that the signals sent by rest of retina. (2)
The Brain and the Eye – How They Work Together – Golden Eye Optometry
Figure c
Vision Limitation – Therefore the human vision is very limited. The clear spot is limited, only fovea catches clear image; Time is limited, at any moment, only on spot will appear clear which is the object land at fovea, if you want to see elsewhere clear, you have move your eyeball.
Vision and Art
What is the relationship between Vision and Art? Visual arts of any kinds are directly related to vision, the essence of vision plays a role impact visual arts. Visual arts are comprehensive results of the reality and ideology, vision and brain and artistic concepts. (3)(4)(5).
Exist Art and Vision – I think that existing arts reflect general human vision believe, indeed seeing a lot of objects clear at a time, depict everything or most of them clear which in the similar distance. Actually these visual arts are the result of eye movement and visual persistence. The visual arts are actually recorded the fields captured by fovea centralis in different time during the eyes movement, and reassemble them using the visual persistence. According the research of Alfred Yarbus, he restored the eye movement tracking. When audiences look at a picture, their eyes are fleeting and move around on entire picture. But the eyes will be first attracted by something conspicuous, and these fields will continue receive most of attention. This also reflect the artist eyes movement, that is the way how artists observe the world and express it.
Eye Movement and Vision – Alfred Yarbus
Audiences pay more attention on eyes and mouth Eye Movement and Vision – Alfred Yarbus
Below is simulated eye movement tracking on my painting:
Peep-3 Alvin Guo
When audiences view my painting, no matter where the sight starts into the picture, it will automatically be directed to the insect, and will continue to gaze this spot, other area may receive a quick peek, because this clear part is the only conspicuous spot in the entire picture. That is the way how I observe the world and depict it
My Art and Vision – I try to create an art different from the existing arts. I call it “Art of Focus”. My art reflects the human vision essence theory. The clear spot represents the main object landed on fovea centralis, while the most of area appear vague represent the objects which land on the other parts of the retina. On my painting, only one clear spot, this depicts the clear image appears at one giving moment.
The theoretical basis are: The first is our eyes aren’t that capable as we thought, in the visible field 120 degree which captured by entire retina are Peripheral vision, only the object captured by fovea centralis appears clear;
The second is the fovea centralis of our eyes capture a clear spot at a time, at any give moment, only one focus. we think that we see a lot of clarities that are the result of eye movement and visual persistence;
The third, images are not seeing by eyes, they are captured by eyes and restored by brain. These three important principals mean a lot to my visual art.
The difference between existing arts and my art is, existing art depict fleeting eye sight and multi focuses; My art depicts fixate eye sight and single focus.
References
(1), How the Human Eye Sees (webmd.com)
(2), https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision/how-eyes-work
(3), How Humans Consciously See Paintings and Paintings Illuminate How Humans See in: Art & Perception Volume 5 Issue 1 (2017) (brill.com)
(4), The science of seeing art and color (phys.org)
(5), Being Human | Margaret Livingstone | Your Brain on Art – YouTube
My Art Works
“ Peep” – Series
In this series, I wanted to explore an unfamiliar world and was inspired by the actual scenery.
One day, a small insect landed on a window screen and it caught my attention. The holes on the window screen are tiny as is the insect. This is a small world. What does this little world have to do with humans? When I looked at this insect, the window screen was blurred, and the background outside the window was also blurred. Only the insect, although behind the window screen, was clear. Does it reflect the concept of my focus? I decided to paint a series of paintings.
At first thought, it seemed that there was no direct connection with this scene of daily life and art. However, through searching, I found that this is a magical world, and that the world of the insect is closely connected with the world of humans.
When I conceived this series of paintings, I wanted to convey to the audience what I had observed, the concept of my visual focus. I wanted to make my focus, to be the focus of the audience. When the audience looks at my paintings, visual sight consciously or unconsciously I want them to immediately gaze at the insect.
In order to achieve this, I explored the following variations:
1, Design shape. I designed the picture to resemble a triangle shape, placing the object at a corner, and concentrated diagonal lines on both sides of this corner to have the viewer’s sight be guided along these lines on both sides toward the corner and the insect.
2, Change paper. I used raw Xuang paper instead of treated Xuang paper. Raw Xuang paper greatly absorbs ink, water, color, and spreads and penetrates to the back of the paper. Treated paper will not. It was a challenge for me to use raw paper to paint my kind of paintings. I chose this paper because it helped me draw grids with blurred foreground screens, and by spreading and penetrating to the other side it allowed for special effects not achieved with the treated paper. It was not easy to paint the details of the object with the raw paper, however, by treating a small area of the paper I was able to paint the details of the object.
3, Paint both sides. I turned over the paper and painted the background which penetrated to the front side, even though some area of the background was dark. When we look from the front side, the dark area did not cover the grids, and the background is pushed away behind the grids. That is the effect I wanted.
Back
Front4, Make three main layers. I created three main layers. The first layer are the grids of the screen as the foreground. The second or middle layer is the insect and it is the most in focus. The third or background layer is the scenery outside the window that I made blurred and abstract. This arrangement of layers emphasizes my visual art concept. The audience’s sight is taken to the insect, which is exactly what I see and what I want the audience to see.
5, Chopped image. I made screen cuts of the insect into countless pieces. I painted small grids one by one, completing the image of the insect. It was chopped and scattered behind the window screens. This created a wonderful visual experience. Through the tiny spaces of small grids, our optic nerve and brain work together to restore these divided fragments with the same clarity into a complete image. Our visual focus is on the insect. Although the window screen is in front of the insect, the window screen is not our focus, and our eyes “turn a blind eye” to it. I made the window screen blurred to conform to the laws of human vision.
My series of little insects has expanded the field of my art while adhering to my core concept-“Focus”. What I wanted to express is that at the moment my eyes are staring at the insect, it was behind the window screen, forming a clear image through the tiny spaces of grids. This is a very interesting phenomenon. This is an interactive scene. I stared at the insect, it stared at me but it didn’t run away. This inspired me to name the series “ Peep”.
“Peep” Series
“Peep” Series – 1 Water base color, ink on Xuang paper 28″x28″ 2020
“Peep” Series – 2 Water base color, ink on Xuang paper 28″x28″ 2020
“Peep” Series – 3 Water base color, ink on Xuang paper 28″x28″ 2020
“Peep” Series – 4 Water base color, ink on Xuang paper 28″x28″ 2020
Face Series
Based on visual perception, if we look at a person at a certain distance, the head is a small part, the entire head could be captured by fovea centralis of the eye, and sent to the brain through optic nerve and form a clear image. But when the head is filling the whole picture, the entire head is not clear any more, only the focusing small part will be clear. In this series drawing, I subjectively chose the eye as a clear element.
Face Series – 1, Sketch, 8″x8″, 2020
Face Series – 2, Sketch, 8″x8″, 2020
Face Series – 3, Sketch, 8″x8″, 2020
Garden Series
I try to paint gardens and flowers in an unusual time and space, challenging the traditional aesthetic, and experimented combine abstract and realistic. Under the twilight or moonlight, the colorful garden became pure, abstract, murky and elusive. You almost could not see any definite image, but when you focus on a spot, you will see a clear image of a flower. There is a big contrast between the clear flower and its environment. These gardens came from my dream, from my mind, expressing an unusual visual perception.
Garden Series – 1 Dream Walking in Twilight, Water base color, ink on Xuang Paper, 30″x30″, 2020
Garden Series – 2 Dream Walking in Moonlight, Water base color, ink on Xuang Paper, 30″x30″, 2020
I would like to thank professor Sharon Dunn for introducing a suitable mentor, thank my mentor professor Saul Nava for his guidance on human visual science. This has enriched my understanding of human vision and has helped me to clearly express the essence of human vision in my painting.