Morning Mist Lifting, 2024

We have high levels of colour perception in our central vision, but this deteriorates with increasing eccentricity, becoming dichromatic (red-green colour blind) in our peripheral vision. I have used contrasting fragments of central and peripheral vision to depict the view from my kitchen window on a misty morning. Exploring this element of our visual perception highlights how altered the landscape can appear by removing the higher-order cortical processing that usually occurs to smooth our view of the world.

Julie Purdie is a self-taught artist living and working in the Hunter Valley. She is also a practising clinical optometrist and uses her knowledge of vision science to inform her creative process.

“I am interested in creating work that references the various stages of human visual perception that occur as we interpret the world around us. After creating digital and paper sketches, I use these drawings to inspire abstract photography with long exposures and camera movement or to become acrylic or oil paintings, often using sgraffito or masking techniques to reveal layers of visual processing. I attempt to reflect the interactions that occur between vision, memory and consciousness. This often results in fragmented, distorted and simplified images that convey the emotion of a moment more than the details. By using methods to highlight various elements of visual perception, I hope to reveal unique viewpoints and meaning.”