Samantha Butkus
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Pastel on paper, 19 x 25"
February 2016

Going far back as early childhood, I have had an incredible fear of losing my eyesight. My vision is poor enough to the point where to the naked eye, my hand blurs when held directly in front of my face and continues to worsen with distance. When I was 18 years old and receiving my annual eye exam, my optometrist discovered tears in my retinas. She compared this condition to the pulling apart of homemade pizza dough, when holes begin to form. This was happening to the backs of my eyes as they essentially detached from my brain.

With this piece of art I expressed my fear of losing my eyesight through the rigid shifting of figures and blurred lines. Three figures show deep fear and anxious expressions as they become hazy towards one another. Harsh lines remain to show contrast and the irony between the blurriness of lost vision, and the permanent results of fear. An antique pallet of eggshell blue, rose, crimson and ivory depict that the fear is timeless, and increases with age.
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