Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Perception is not reality

In the process of converting my old sketchbooks to digital format (so that I can bin the originals) I came across some interesting pictures.

As I drew each of these I believed that I was drawing the world I saw, however, I was actually drawing the world I imagined. The mistake becomes obvious when you're sketching a drawing or a painting but what about in life?

What are we not seeing?
What do we think we know, when really it's all different?
Perception is not reality.

In the first one I somehow managed to draw her with two elbows on the one arm.


The second is a drawn with a technique where you look at the object and draw the whole thing without ever looking at the page. It usually gets some strange results.


The last is a simple sketch of a friend of mine where I relied on how I thought a body should look instead of actually looking at her body.


Each of these has a simple truth to offer. We need to look objectively at the world, then examine our subjective impression of the world, and then see what doesn't match up.
Then make changes.



Question for the readers:
What was your latest epiphany? When was the last time your paradigm changed?
Answer in the comments.

5 comments:

  1. I so know what you mean about perception, and it applies to all areas of life, not just the visual. Many an argument can be diffused by acknowledging to another that we understand that is the way they percieve it. It doesn't mean we have to agree though. Looking at the way a child percieves things teaches a lot. And thanks for being the 1st commenter on my blog.

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  2. Btw the 1st comment was an epiphany I had last year, when my daughter would tell me the goings on at school, and I got to help her see the big picture. My latest epiphany.........is still in production. I have them at the most unexpected moments.

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  3. Hola~
    yea...you are quite right, n actually i've been telling abt this all the time. well, pisces feeling always go first(which i claimed that all the time). for my latest epiphany should be my breaking up with my exex partner in 2007.

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  4. i posted some old pics i did on my blog as well, check em out if u want

    www.sleepymaniac.blogspot.com

    ttyl

    btw im so jeal u are in australia, its one of my fav places on earth although ive never been but i dream of living there one day, maybe queensland

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  5. oh btw i like your drawings especially the 1st one even though she has 2 elbows lol

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