“Art of Eyes” 2023 Edition — The Ophthalmologist
The 2023 edition of The Ophthalmologist’s “Art of Eyes” feature showcases more evocative ophthalmic-inspired artwork from artists around the world. Whether you’re an eye clinician, vision scientist, art enthusiast, there will be something within the diverse range of mediums and perspectives represented in this curation by Sarah Healey which features mixed media created by both Ophthalmologists and visually impaired artists.
This year features Carol Shields’s vibrant floral photography merging her passions for nature and the intricate beauty of the eye whilst whimsical illustrations from Dorothea Laurence aim to help patients better understand and retain information from their appointments. Resident Alan Kong’s emotive paintings chronicle his hourney from medical school to ophthalmology training. Elsewhere, pieces by artists like Fereshteh Azad and Greg Dunn elegantly interweave themes of medicine and science within the artistry.
Beyond admiring the visuals, the feature also moved me by profiling visually impaired artists like Abi Jameson, Clarke Reynolds, Douglas Knight, and Fae Kilburn. Their creations shed light on how one’s outlook shapes their vision of the world. . As Jameson described it, losing half her sight made colors appear brighter and messages stronger in her work. Reynolds brings braille into the 21st century through color and shape, while Knight follows his passion for comics despite legal blindness. Their resilience and self-expression in adapting to sight changes are truly inspirational. (I’d love to see Marvel Entertainment give Mr Knight a guest slot — maybe on the Scarlet Spider — which I’ve written about here)
There are some lovely watercolours from Vijitha S Vempuluru, canvass work by Kathleen Ho, and stunning ophthalmic photography from Ralph Eagle. Some of my own creations using the Midjourney programme also feature, of which my favourite is the happy accident where the generative AI mis-took “emphasis on the iris” for actually painting the iris flower within an eye.
This uplifting issue reinforced for me how vision intersects with identity, perception, science, creativity, and the human experience. As The Ophthalmologist wrote, “Eyes have long been associated with beauty, serving as the inspiration for countless pieces of artwork.” I’m grateful this publication continues spotlighting diverse artistic interpretations of the eye and vision in such imaginative ways. It reminds us to appreciate not only the mechanistic gift of sight itself, but how we each view and portray the world around us.
