The depiction of visual experience: a study of close-up double vision

Abstract

Crossed disparity causes objects to appear in ‘close-up double vision’, due to their close proximity to an observer. Close-up double vision occurs because the viewers’ eyes cannot converge on an object that is too close to them without strain, causing disparate images of the object to be projected onto each retina which cannot be fused into a single image in depth by the brain. Close-up double vision is an often unnoticed aspect of seeing for anyone who has two eyes, and a familiar example is the observers’ nose appearing either side of their visual field. However, there are very few explicit examples of the effects of close-up double vision recorded in artworks. This research aims to address the overlooked phenomenon of close-up double vision in artworks, and my original contribution to knowledge is the development of a method of perspective for depicting this subjective visual experience.