Don't be so short sighted
Lauren Hinchly
Don’t be so short sighted is set to challenge pre-conceived ideas of a domestic space, a kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, conservatory, shed, and everyday items based on the narrative of being visually impaired.
Walking and looking at the ground as I have little downward vision, I squint in an effort to see something as I have no focussing ability, little peripheral vision; the line of sight outside the point of fixation does not allow me the full view of something, people assume I am being ignorant. A head tilt to the right, my brain’s way of compensating for my weaker eye—meaning photos are never straight, a characteristic I cannot physically change. My way of seeing is represented in the construction of these images of brightly coloured objects, shot with a macro lens, my metaphorical magnifier, my 13cm rule, and isolated subject matter. The reason being I view things close up unable to see something as a whole but rather a piece at a time. No single way of viewing the world is more valid than another.
People struggle physically and mentally. My work is aimed at showing how a feeling of negativity can be turned into a positive and to highlight that everyone can draw inspiration to create engaging work. I hope this work can be a positive force to drive others struggling with physical or mental disabilities to embrace being themselves and take that creative journey.
