A personal series reflecting on the possibility of losing one’s vision by lens-based artist Owen Mar. As an artist Mar attends to elements of daily life that often go unnoticed. His recent photographic work focuses on vision and its unexamined role in shaping our attention. The photos in “Photopsia” were taken during a period of uncertainty regarding Mar’s own eyesight. Mar started to notice unusual flashes of light in his vision one week before he was meant to leave for a whitewater rafting trip in Idaho. His optometrist referred him to a retinal specialist. However, the specialist was only be able to see him after the trip. Contributing to Mar’s concern was the fact that his mother went blind in her left eye when he was a child:
“Nervous that my vision had an expiration date, I bought six rolls of film, loaded up my camera, and took as many photographs as I could. Made across this period of uncertainty—from the east coast to Idaho—these images explore reflection, gestures, and shared moments to record the texture of my life before I no longer see it. I am grateful to say now that I remain able to see, but this experience has imparted me with a gratitude for my sight that I’ll never forget.”
Owen Mar submitted this project through the submissions section of our website. It’s free to join the Booooooom Community and share your work with us!
Discussion about this post