Through the Clouds

Mars Webb, Big Picture, Hobart City High School

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

Artist’s Statement

The research that I am representing is cataracts. This is an eye condition that causes the lens to become cloudy and foggy. Cataracts affect people’s daily lives and can be very frustrating. The treatment for cataracts is surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial one.

I have worked with Dr Johanna Jones who studies the genetic causes of childhood onset cataracts. These cataracts are very often passed from parent to child through families. Dr Johanna investigates the DNA of family members who have cataracts to find changes that are causing the disease.

Dr Johanna uses a wide range of laboratory techniques to gather evidence to prove which DNA changes are harmful to lens health. These experiments also 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 show the perspective of a person who lives with cataracts. I wanted to explore what it would be like to see the world through their eyes. I created this piece using a digital camera. I have both images depicting what it is like to have clear vision and a blurred photo to show what it might be like to have cataracts. I wanted people to see how different it is and how people and children might be struggling with that condition.