Tori Mullins

Field of Vision

My maternal grandmother helped raise me and played a crucial role in my upbringing. In her seventies, she was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Macular Degeneration is an inherited, degenerative disorder that results in gradual blindness. The macula, located in the back of the eye, deteriorates over time causing the gradual blindness. For my thesis I painted a series of images that represent the limited amount of sight my grandmother possesses. Considering her limited field of vision, she remains independent and cooks, reads, watches TV, and attends church functions. I documented my grandmother’s routine and represented how she visualizes the world. The paintings sit within shadow boxes. Each box has two sliding plexiglass slides that are sanded to varying degrees that when in front of the painting help the viewer understand gradual vision loss. This interactive element to my work helps the audience to immerse themselves into my grandmother’s field of vision. My goal throughout this process has been to raise awareness about my grandmother’s condition. I want to start a conversation about other’s struggles using my grandmother’s experiences with macular degeneration. 

Jacqueline Tori Mullins signature

Thesis committee members: 

  • Professor Alex Bostic, chair
  • Professor Jenna Altomonte 
  • Professor Lori Neuenfeldt

Go Fish

A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hands holding playing cards. There is another person sat across from the hands playing the game as well. Both panels are in front of the painting. The front most panel of plexiglass is fuzzy and smooth. The back panel of plexiglass is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out.
Painting of a game of go fish from the perspective of the artist’s grandmother encased in a shadow box with two panels of treated plexiglass. Each panel slides in and out to simulate gradual blindness. Oil Paint, Wood, Plexiglass. 16.75"x12.5"
A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hands holding playing cards. There is another person sat across from the hands playing the game as well. The front panel is slid out from the box. The back panel is still obscuring the painting. The back panel of plexiglass is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out. A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hands holding playing cards, they are a king, a queen, an eight, a four, and a ten. There is another person sat across from the hands playing the game as well. Both panels are slid out of the box. The painting is no longer obstructed by the plexiglass. The frontmost hands are wrinkly and veins are visible. They are both playing on a wooden table. The person in the back is wearing a white t-shirt and the back of their cards are blue. A detail image of the top left corner of the piece. A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hands holding playing cards. There is another person sat across from the hands playing the game as well. Both panels are in front of the painting. Up close the treatment of the plexiglass can be seen more, it is very smooth, fuzzy, and opaque. A detail image of the top left corner of the piece. A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hands holding playing cards. There is another person sat across from the hands playing the game as well. Just the back panel of plexiglass is in front of the painting. Up close the treatment of the plexiglass can be seen more, it is very rough, scratched, and blurry. This is an image of just the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hands holding playing cards, they are a king, a queen, an eight, a four, and a ten. There is another person sat across from the hands playing the game as well. Both panels are slid out of the box. The painting is no longer obstructed by the plexiglass. The frontmost hands are wrinkly and veins are visible. They are both playing on a wooden table. The person in the back is wearing a white t-shirt and the back of their cards are blue. The painting has a very neutral color pallet.A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hands holding playing cards. There is another person sat across from the hands playing the game as well. Both panels are in front of the painting but staggering. The front most panel of plexiglass is pulled almost out from in front of the painting, but a sliver is still visible. It is fuzzy and smooth. The back panel of plexiglass is halfway in front of the painting so that just a sliver of the painting is visible and there is a section where both panels overlap. It is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out.

 

Lunch 

A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hand as they cook two hotdogs on a skillet. The person is holding a spatula. They are wearing a red shirt. The stove top surrounding the eye being used is visible. Both panels are in front of the painting. The front most panel of plexiglass is fuzzy and smooth. The back panel of plexiglass is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out.
Painting of cooking two hotdogs from the perspective of the artist’s grandmother encased in a shadow box with two panels of treated plexiglass. Each panel slides in and out to simulate gradual blindness. Oil Paint, wood, plexiglass. 16.75"x12.5"
A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hand as they cook two hotdogs on a skillet. The person is holding a spatula. They are wearing a red shirt. The stove top surrounding the eye being used is visible. The front panel is slid out from the box. The back panel is still obscuring the painting. The back panel of plexiglass is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out.A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hand as they cook two hotdogs on a skillet. The person is holding a spatula. They are wearing a red shirt. The stove top surrounding the eye being used is visible. Both panels are slid out of the box. The painting is no longer obstructed by the plexiglass. The hand in the foreground is wrinkly and the fingers are crooked due to arthritis. The painting has an overall warm color pallet.This is an image of just the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hand as they cook two hotdogs on a skillet. The person is holding a spatula. They are wearing a red shirt. The stove top surrounding the eye being used is visible. Both panels are slid out of the box. The painting is no longer obstructed by the plexiglass. The hand in the foreground is wrinkly and the fingers are crooked due to arthritis. The painting has an overall warm color pallet. A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows an older person’s hand as they cook two hotdogs on a skillet. The person is holding a spatula. They are wearing a red shirt. The stove top surrounding the eye being used is visible. Both panels are in front of the painting but staggering. The front most panel of plexiglass is pulled almost out from in front of the painting, but a sliver is still visible. It is fuzzy and smooth. The back panel of plexiglass is halfway in front of the painting so that just a sliver of the painting is visible and there is a section where both panels overlap. It is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out.

 

Sunday Service

A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows a hymnal in the foreground. There are several people sitting in the view of the subject. They are sitting at tables all focused on the preacher who is at the front of the room in the middle of the painting. The walls in the back are painted blue and green and there are screens on both walls. Both panels are in front of the painting. The front most panel of plexiglass is fuzzy and smooth. The back panel of plexiglass is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out.
 Painting of church service from the perspective of the artist’s grandmother encased in a shadow box with two panels of treated plexiglass. Each panel slides in and out to simulate gradual blindness. Oil paint, wood, plexiglass. 16.75"x12.5"
A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows a hymnal in the foreground. There are several people sitting in the view of the subject. They are sitting at tables all focused on the preacher who is at the front of the room in the middle of the painting. The walls in the back are painted blue and green and there are screens on both walls. The front panel is slid out from the box. The back panel is still obscuring the painting. The back panel of plexiglass is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out. A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows a hymnal in the foreground. There are several people sitting in the view of the subject. They are sitting at tables all focused on the preacher who is at the front of the room in the middle of the painting. The walls in the back are painted blue and green and there are screens on both walls. Both panels are slid out of the box. The painting is no longer obstructed by the plexiglass. There is a man sitting directly in front of the view of the subject, he is wearing a brown jacket and his hair is grey. There is a man to the left in a bright blue shirt with brown hair. There are several people further forward. The preacher is at a podium. A detail image of the top left corner of the piece. A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows a hymnal in the foreground. There are several people sitting in the view of the subject. They are sitting at tables all focused on the preacher who is at the front of the room in the middle of the painting. The walls in the back are painted blue and green and there are screens on both walls. Both panels are in front of the painting. Up close the treatment of the plexiglass can be seen more, it is very smooth, fuzzy, and opaque.This is an image of just the painting. The painting shows a hymnal in the foreground. There are several people sitting in the view of the subject. They are sitting at tables all focused on the preacher who is at the front of the room in the middle of the painting. The walls in the back are painted blue and green and there are screens on both walls. Both panels are slid out of the box. The painting is no longer obstructed by the plexiglass. There is a man sitting directly in front of the view of the subject, he is wearing a brown jacket and his hair is grey. There is a man to the left in a bright blue shirt with brown hair. There are several people further forward. The preacher is at a podium.A box with a painting in the back and treated plexiglass panels interfering with the view of the painting. The painting shows a hymnal in the foreground. There are several people sitting in the view of the subject. They are sitting at tables all focused on the preacher who is at the front of the room in the middle of the painting. The walls in the back are painted blue and green and there are screens on both walls. Both panels are in front of the painting but staggering. The front most panel of plexiglass is pulled almost out from in front of the painting, but a sliver is still visible. It is fuzzy and smooth. The back panel of plexiglass is halfway in front of the painting so that just a sliver of the painting is visible and there is a section where both panels overlap. It is rough, scratched, and blurry. Both panels are blurry more in the center and fade out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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