Colorblind Perception

Portraits of the Colorblind

Colorblind Perception

John Dunkleman

We can't help but respond to color, we are societal conditioned to make associations to color and the color of things. White in some cultures like Africa can signal death, while in America it can signal a wedding. Equally we appeal to certain colors because that is what our brains tell us to do; that deep red of a strawberry triggers the brain to let us know we may be hungry.

But what happens when one's color perception is not like others? There are roughly 8-12% of the population in the United States that are Colorblind. The large majority of them being males, with only about 0.5% are females. This means there are colors that are seen by the many to mean one thing, but for these few Colorblind people, mean another. This color deficiency or blindness throws off the color spectrum that normal vision people are use to. Therefore, the colors that are interpreted through the eye are different form the colors seen, in part or in whole, by the normal vision person.

My portraits reference the Ishihara color circle tests that are issues to children and adults in order to discover Colorblindness. The tests are largely made up 3 different circle sizes, the sizes being exactly half the size of the larger. There are a variety of colors that relate to one another in a sense that they are trying to trick the Colorblind persons eye into not seeing an image that should easily be seen by the non-Colorblind person. This occurs because some colors are seen as others, for example to a red-green Colorblind person, a dark green and a brown may look identical, where the difference is easily seen by the non-Colorblind. I take the three circle sizes and create a portrait of an individual who is Colorblind, while applying the colors that they have issues seeing. Because of the values and intensities of the colors that are used, the individual along with the non-Colorblind person can see the portrait. I also reference this test because I wanted to reclaim in some part, the tests that have been associated with us and often brought up to separate us from the normal vision.

Colorblindness varies in spectrum and has many variables, and because there are different types of Colorblindness, each individual gains their own unique pallet and it is repeated each time they have another portrait done. There are tests that can determine different types of Colorblindness but most people are only given the Ishihara test whether they are Colorblind or not. The specific type and degree of Colorblindness of each individual varies. For this reason once a person has a pallet that is unique to them, it not only helps represent them in their portrait, but also aids them in being able to guarantee them seeing their portrait.

Not always a curse, some Colorblind individuals are noted as being able to see farther in low light, fog, and other situations but seem to do so because of the sacrifice of color. For example, on a foggy darker night a Colorblind individual may be able to see further or more clearly than the non-Colorblind, but has a higher chance of confusing a street lamp with a traffic light. At a distance or with blurry eyes, people start to lose this difference and are able to see shapes or groupings similarly. Based on this fact and referencing the impressionist and pointillists, the portraits from a distance can be seen more successfully than point blank range. This is evident when seeing an image that is blurred, in low light, smaller scale or at further distance.

The paintings and prints in the series vary in size of circles (while preserving the 3 sizes,) colors, legibility at various distances, and of course image. This is done to reference the Ishihara color circle tests, as each test can be more or less obvious to someone who is viewing them. The more abstract the painting is up close, the more frustrating it becomes to try and figure out what the image is that someone looking just behind you, over your shoulder or across the room, can see more easily in comparison to you. This also references how difficult it is to explain to someone how you see or perceive things while being Colorblind and having to deal with he frustrations of the visual world around you, while others see the same image but from a different perspective and it becomes more or less successful or clear.

Work on Display

Currently on Display

Main(ST)udios in Buffalo, NY: 4 Pieces on display in Frontside Windows

Burchfield Penny Art Center in Buffalo, NY. May 11–August 26, 2012:
1 digital print in The Artists Among Us.

Reciently on Display

Main(ST)udios 2012

Colorblind Perception May 4-10, 2012

The first showing of Colorblind Perceptionopened on May 4, 2012. The Exibition contains 12 pieces which included a 80"x58" poirtrait on the wall made of hand cut circles, 6 - 30"x40" paintings, 3 - 20"x30" digital prints, and 2 small 11x14 digital prints. The show displayed portraits of three different individuals with different colorblindness as well as one self portrait of the artist.
The different portraits of the individuals dipicted were made of varrying different sizes and refrenced the Ishihara color circles, which aid in determining if an individual is colorblind or not. Each portrait contained a specific color pallet unique to the person's colorblindness. Dispite the colors used in each portrait being one's that the individual has trouble/can not see, the portrait is created so that the perso, as well as the general public, can see their own portrait.

Contact

John@Colorblindartist.com
Colorblindartist@ymail.com
www.Facebook.com/TheColorblindArtist