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Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

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Myopia, a vision problem that makes distant objects appear blurred, was the inspiration of South African Philip Barlow for a series of pictures. The artist paints daily scenes with oil paint, those we encounter in our everyday lives, to convert them into new landscapes enveloped in singular beauty. We have previously shown his work here.

The smoothness of the lines, which is nothing more than a blur similar to that seen by defective eyes, offers a vaguely shaped world filled with anonymous people. It is, therefore, a reality that offers more possibilities for the viewer’s imagination.

“These are not really a specific project as such but part of the continuation of mine into the exploration of color, light, and form. Some of the pieces are part of exhibitions I have had or paintings from trips I have taken,” the artist explained to Bored Panda when asked how this project came about.

Philip explores the subject of the city and beach wearing two caps. The first as a street/beach photographer seeking to capture that sublime moment. The second as a colorist, transforming these images with oil paint onto canvas or linen. For Philip, light itself is a wonder where design and mystery dwell and glory can be seen.

We believe no myopic will be surprised by the paintings presented here, but we would still love to hear what you think in the comments.

More info: Instagram | philipbarlow.com

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

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Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

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Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

ADVERTISEMENT

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

Artist Shows How People With Bad Eyesight See The World Without Glasses In 12 Oil Paintings (New Pics)

Image credits: Philip Barlow

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25Kviews

Hidrėlėy

Fascinated by music, movies and sitcoms, I'm passionate about social media and can't live without the internet, especially for all the cute dog and cat pictures out there. I wish the day had about 40 hours to be able to do everything I want.

Fascinated by music, movies and sitcoms, I'm passionate about social media and can't live without the internet, especially for all the cute dog and cat pictures out there. I wish the day had about 40 hours to be able to do everything I want.

Airinga

Airinga has a degree in Marketing from a Top 10 UK University, which she puts to good use as a digital advertising analyst at Bored Panda. A self-proclaimed writer of fantasy stories (is yet to finish a single one). Typical introvert. An avid fan of anime and manga. Fascinated by ancient history, astronomy, and artificial intelligence.

Airinga has a degree in Marketing from a Top 10 UK University, which she puts to good use as a digital advertising analyst at Bored Panda. A self-proclaimed writer of fantasy stories (is yet to finish a single one). Typical introvert. An avid fan of anime and manga. Fascinated by ancient history, astronomy, and artificial intelligence.

What do you think ?

RaroaRaroa 5 years ago

They're lovely paintings, but they don't represent what I see with my appalling eyesight. Just take a camera and adjust the focus until everything is very blurry - as in faces at the other side of the room are just flesh coloured blobs. No pretty circles, just blur. :-)

39points

Ryo Bakura 5 years ago

I was wondering what was up with the circles/bubbles. I don't see those things when I'm not wearing my glasses. I'm short-sighted, so everything beyond a certain distance just goes out of focus. Basically, I can see a car about to hit me, but I can't read the license plate until it's too late.

20points

Load More Replies...

xaspsx 5 years ago

These are very accurate for me, i have -9 vision so a friend even sitting opposite me at a table will be a flesh coloured blob, and any light however tiny is a pretty circle.

6points

blugeagua 5 years ago

For me, these photos are actually very realistic because I think it depends on the person and their horrible eyesight. I’m near-sighted, so for me, I do see enlarged circles from streetlights and blurriness. So these pictures are accurate for some people.

5points

Living_Shadow 5 years ago

I mean, I see the circles when looking at light but nowhere else

4points

HoffLensMetalHedLovesAnimalsUK 5 years ago

Yep, if i'm holding a book at arms length any text is blurry for me.

2points

nanashi 5 years ago

I legit had to check if I had my glasses on or not when looking at the pictures

24points

Ronel du Plessis 5 years ago

I always tell the people, the way I see is almost similar to opening your eyes while swimming under water.

14points

Bluebell Rizzi 5 years ago

That's a really good example!

5points

Load More Replies...

Angela 5 years ago

But can we just talk about these as art and not exact interpretation of impaired sight? So happy to see something original and not Disney/Marvel remakes posted on this site. From the artist: "These are not really a specific project as such but part of the continuation of mine into the exploration of color, light, and form." Yes! The "circles and bubbles" that people seem to take issue with in the comments are well applied visual texture on compositions that conservatively respect the rule of thirds will still pulling the viewer to pause and consider the subject through simplified form. Any thoughts on color? Theory? Dear artist, well done and thank you for the opportunity for critique and discussion.

5points

反社会的 5 years ago

Not wearing glasses is a lot blurrier (not the pretty circles) but just because it's blurry DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T SEE HOW MANY FINGERS YOU'RE HOLDING UP.

5points

Olivier Caissy 4 years ago

I can’t without my glasses, my vision IS that bad, but it’s better than nothing.

0points

Load More Replies...

A B C 5 years ago

As a peron who used to have -6,5 to -7 dioptres (hooray for laser eye surgery \o/), this is NOTHING like it. These paintings are like the Van Gogh version of what you see. As RaroaRaroa said, just take a camera and unfocus it, then you'll get a basic image (pun intended) of what it's like.

5points

xaspsx 5 years ago

I love how these capture how the light looks without glasses on (-9 here with astigmatism and a weak eye as well). The way that it makes the lights look is really the only redeeming feature - a world without tree leaves, faces and stars is very sad indeed (that was my world until the age of 7).

3points

Barbara Vandewalle 5 years ago

If possible my eye sight is worse than what is depicted in the paintings.

3points

Zeedy 5 years ago

I quite enjoyed these. I'm near-sighted and I actually do see perfect circles wherever there is a light when I take my glasses off.

2points

Tony Crocetto 5 years ago

Basically, these are just reproductions of out-of-focus photographs. The circles are produced by the multiple glass lenses inside the camera lens when the lens is thrown out of focus.

2points

bee pot 5 years ago

fairly accurate. my eyesight must be worse than what the artist was trying to depict lol.

1point

Aylin Mustafa 5 years ago

Showing this to all those that ask all the time: "hoow many fingers am I holding up???!" Two, Susan, f**king twoo

1point

2WheelTravlr 5 years ago

I wish I saw that beautiful bokeh when I look at the world without glasses, but it's all just fuzziness and confusion.

1point

Eden-Rose Huntsman 5 years ago

Is it weird that the pictures seemed blurrier than they already were when I took off my glasses?

1point

Lily 4 years ago

I would live one where it's a portrait of someone's face, but the only thing you see is their eyes. It would be beautiful.

0points

Olivier Caissy 4 years ago

Yep, that’s my world without my glasses.

0points

Esmeralda Anistasia Smith 4 years ago

I took off my glasses to look at this, and almost didn't notice that the last picture wasn't one of the paintings!

0points

Sarah Storm 5 years ago

My eyesight is getting worse. So for most projects I have a certain font and size (Quicksand, size 10) that I can see depending on how far away from the computer. But like 2 weeks ago, I had to move the computer closer, and make the font a size bigger.

0points

Rhon 5 years ago

I’ve worn glasses since I was 3yrs old, I’m now 58. My vision without glasses looks nothing like these paintings. Nice paintings but just nothing like the real thing for me.

0points

Deniz Vitvitskiji 5 years ago

I don't see circles, unless its really dark and the lights are tiny in the distance.

0points

selioraxemaia 5 years ago

All ya'll seeing circles/halos might want to get checked for cataracts.

0points

selioraxemaia 5 years ago

All Ya'll seeing the circles might need to be checked for cataracts.

0points

Joi Cain 5 years ago

Spot on for me and my astigmatism!

0points

KALEY WELSH 5 years ago

there actual how i see without my glasses

0points

lenniee 5 years ago

That's pretty similar to how used to see until I started wearing contact lenses.

0points

Katinka Min 5 years ago

This exactly was it looks like for me with my severe short sightedness. in fact, I kept squinting trying to get them into focus :-D

0points

Brenda Pereira 5 years ago

While these are very accurate as for the lights, the people and other items do not appear as dots or dot smears. They are basically just blurry. The picture of the beach has this problem. I don't think the light from the water would actually appear as dots. It never did for me. The only time it's useful to be myopic is when looking at colored lights on a Christmas tree.

0points

Yehudit Hannah Cohn 5 years ago

I had higher hopes for this post.

0points

FosterThePeople 5 years ago

I keep thinking that there is something in my eyes because it's so blurry, so I keep rubbing them. They hurt now

0points

Magpie 5 years ago

Yes Exactly. Well done!

0points

Podunkus 5 years ago

These are quite interesting and brought to mind some of the blurred-image paintings that Gerhard Richter did in the 1980’s and 90’s, mostly with portraiture as I recall. Richter‘s work conveyed movement while your compositions do the opposite. Thank you for posting this.

0points

HoffLensMetalHedLovesAnimalsUK 5 years ago

I am extremely myopic and that is not how things look, it's just unfocused and blurry, none of these little circles everywhere.

-1point

Elizabeth Huerta 5 years ago

This to me is a more accurate example of my vision without contacts/glasses https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+bad+vision&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&prmd=isnv&sxsrf=ACYBGNQE7xHT25w4vsmeePaJMtuc-9KuZA:1569096960179&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2tLfX3eLkAhUBY6wKHdXBBdwQ_AUoAXoECA0QAQ&biw=360&bih=612&dpr=3#imgrc=PkKP2pWlWVx8YM&imgdii=Z1VuELVvIlGfeM

-1point

Karin Gibson 5 years ago

Very nice painting but unsure of the validity of what the poor eyesight might see.

-1point

RaroaRaroa 5 years ago

They're lovely paintings, but they don't represent what I see with my appalling eyesight. Just take a camera and adjust the focus until everything is very blurry - as in faces at the other side of the room are just flesh coloured blobs. No pretty circles, just blur. :-)

39points

Ryo Bakura 5 years ago

I was wondering what was up with the circles/bubbles. I don't see those things when I'm not wearing my glasses. I'm short-sighted, so everything beyond a certain distance just goes out of focus. Basically, I can see a car about to hit me, but I can't read the license plate until it's too late.

20points

Load More Replies...

xaspsx 5 years ago

These are very accurate for me, i have -9 vision so a friend even sitting opposite me at a table will be a flesh coloured blob, and any light however tiny is a pretty circle.

6points

blugeagua 5 years ago

For me, these photos are actually very realistic because I think it depends on the person and their horrible eyesight. I’m near-sighted, so for me, I do see enlarged circles from streetlights and blurriness. So these pictures are accurate for some people.

5points

Living_Shadow 5 years ago

I mean, I see the circles when looking at light but nowhere else

4points

HoffLensMetalHedLovesAnimalsUK 5 years ago

Yep, if i'm holding a book at arms length any text is blurry for me.

2points

nanashi 5 years ago

I legit had to check if I had my glasses on or not when looking at the pictures

24points

Ronel du Plessis 5 years ago

I always tell the people, the way I see is almost similar to opening your eyes while swimming under water.

14points

Bluebell Rizzi 5 years ago

That's a really good example!

5points

Load More Replies...

Angela 5 years ago

But can we just talk about these as art and not exact interpretation of impaired sight? So happy to see something original and not Disney/Marvel remakes posted on this site. From the artist: "These are not really a specific project as such but part of the continuation of mine into the exploration of color, light, and form." Yes! The "circles and bubbles" that people seem to take issue with in the comments are well applied visual texture on compositions that conservatively respect the rule of thirds will still pulling the viewer to pause and consider the subject through simplified form. Any thoughts on color? Theory? Dear artist, well done and thank you for the opportunity for critique and discussion.

5points

反社会的 5 years ago

Not wearing glasses is a lot blurrier (not the pretty circles) but just because it's blurry DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T SEE HOW MANY FINGERS YOU'RE HOLDING UP.

5points

Olivier Caissy 4 years ago

I can’t without my glasses, my vision IS that bad, but it’s better than nothing.

0points

Load More Replies...

A B C 5 years ago

As a peron who used to have -6,5 to -7 dioptres (hooray for laser eye surgery \o/), this is NOTHING like it. These paintings are like the Van Gogh version of what you see. As RaroaRaroa said, just take a camera and unfocus it, then you'll get a basic image (pun intended) of what it's like.

5points

xaspsx 5 years ago

I love how these capture how the light looks without glasses on (-9 here with astigmatism and a weak eye as well). The way that it makes the lights look is really the only redeeming feature - a world without tree leaves, faces and stars is very sad indeed (that was my world until the age of 7).

3points

Barbara Vandewalle 5 years ago

If possible my eye sight is worse than what is depicted in the paintings.

3points

Zeedy 5 years ago

I quite enjoyed these. I'm near-sighted and I actually do see perfect circles wherever there is a light when I take my glasses off.

2points

Tony Crocetto 5 years ago

Basically, these are just reproductions of out-of-focus photographs. The circles are produced by the multiple glass lenses inside the camera lens when the lens is thrown out of focus.

2points

bee pot 5 years ago

fairly accurate. my eyesight must be worse than what the artist was trying to depict lol.

1point

Aylin Mustafa 5 years ago

Showing this to all those that ask all the time: "hoow many fingers am I holding up???!" Two, Susan, f**king twoo

1point

2WheelTravlr 5 years ago

I wish I saw that beautiful bokeh when I look at the world without glasses, but it's all just fuzziness and confusion.

1point

Eden-Rose Huntsman 5 years ago

Is it weird that the pictures seemed blurrier than they already were when I took off my glasses?

1point

Lily 4 years ago

I would live one where it's a portrait of someone's face, but the only thing you see is their eyes. It would be beautiful.

0points

Olivier Caissy 4 years ago

Yep, that’s my world without my glasses.

0points

Esmeralda Anistasia Smith 4 years ago

I took off my glasses to look at this, and almost didn't notice that the last picture wasn't one of the paintings!

0points

Sarah Storm 5 years ago

My eyesight is getting worse. So for most projects I have a certain font and size (Quicksand, size 10) that I can see depending on how far away from the computer. But like 2 weeks ago, I had to move the computer closer, and make the font a size bigger.

0points

Rhon 5 years ago

I’ve worn glasses since I was 3yrs old, I’m now 58. My vision without glasses looks nothing like these paintings. Nice paintings but just nothing like the real thing for me.

0points

Deniz Vitvitskiji 5 years ago

I don't see circles, unless its really dark and the lights are tiny in the distance.

0points

selioraxemaia 5 years ago

All ya'll seeing circles/halos might want to get checked for cataracts.

0points

selioraxemaia 5 years ago

All Ya'll seeing the circles might need to be checked for cataracts.

0points

Joi Cain 5 years ago

Spot on for me and my astigmatism!

0points

KALEY WELSH 5 years ago

there actual how i see without my glasses

0points

lenniee 5 years ago

That's pretty similar to how used to see until I started wearing contact lenses.

0points

Katinka Min 5 years ago

This exactly was it looks like for me with my severe short sightedness. in fact, I kept squinting trying to get them into focus :-D

0points

Brenda Pereira 5 years ago

While these are very accurate as for the lights, the people and other items do not appear as dots or dot smears. They are basically just blurry. The picture of the beach has this problem. I don't think the light from the water would actually appear as dots. It never did for me. The only time it's useful to be myopic is when looking at colored lights on a Christmas tree.

0points

Yehudit Hannah Cohn 5 years ago

I had higher hopes for this post.

0points

FosterThePeople 5 years ago

I keep thinking that there is something in my eyes because it's so blurry, so I keep rubbing them. They hurt now

0points

Magpie 5 years ago

Yes Exactly. Well done!

0points

Podunkus 5 years ago

These are quite interesting and brought to mind some of the blurred-image paintings that Gerhard Richter did in the 1980’s and 90’s, mostly with portraiture as I recall. Richter‘s work conveyed movement while your compositions do the opposite. Thank you for posting this.

0points

HoffLensMetalHedLovesAnimalsUK 5 years ago

I am extremely myopic and that is not how things look, it's just unfocused and blurry, none of these little circles everywhere.

-1point

Elizabeth Huerta 5 years ago

This to me is a more accurate example of my vision without contacts/glasses https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+bad+vision&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&prmd=isnv&sxsrf=ACYBGNQE7xHT25w4vsmeePaJMtuc-9KuZA:1569096960179&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2tLfX3eLkAhUBY6wKHdXBBdwQ_AUoAXoECA0QAQ&biw=360&bih=612&dpr=3#imgrc=PkKP2pWlWVx8YM&imgdii=Z1VuELVvIlGfeM

-1point

Karin Gibson 5 years ago

Very nice painting but unsure of the validity of what the poor eyesight might see.

-1point

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