Cataracts

Izzy Cover, Big Picture, Hobart City High School

In collaboration with Dr Johanna Jones, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, UTAS

Artist’s Statement

The research I’m depicting in this piece is around cataracts, which is an eye condition that makes the lens cloud up and become foggy. I have worked with Dr Johanna Jones who studies the genetic causes of childhood onset cataracts. Johanna investigates patients’ DNA sequences to find changes that might be damaging and able to cause disease.

Dr Johanna also uses a wide range of laboratory techniques to gather evidence to prove which DNA changes are harmful to lens health. These experiments help us understand how things are going wrong in the lens, which means we can make faster and more accurate decisions about other DNA changes we might see in the future in other children and families.

In this piece I am focusing on the physical aspect of cataracts and the way they affect your ability to see. The artistic concept is that the iris, being the earth itself, is left unbothered by clouds in the ‘atmosphere’ while the pupil is covered by clouds. This is supposed to represent how cataracts affect the way you view the entire world. I’ve drawn the work digitally in Procreate.