Introducing Jennifer, our #WarriorOfTheWeek! ✨
Spotlight on: Jennifer Bell ???? @jenniferbellart
“I’m pretty sure I was born with VS, some of my earliest childhood memories are watching the kaleidoscopic patterns of colourful dots at night to go to sleep. It’s all I’ve known.
If it wasn’t for a convo in my early 20s I’d probably never have known how I see isn’t ‘normal’. I had a slight headache & someone asked if I was ok & I replied “the dots are a bit intense today”. I’m sure I said something like that before but no one asked what I meant by it. When I got home that evening I rang my mother & yes the dots what about them. She could see them. I told her to go ask my dad about it & he didn’t know what we were talking about. I rang my sister, she didn’t know, I rang my brother, yes the dots. At least I knew I wasn’t going mad. It was when my son came along I had renewed interest in finding out what it was. It tuned out & by then people actually knew what it was & it had a name.
Ever since I moved to Australia as a child I had painted what I saw but I was constantly told by teachers that I shouldn’t paint dots, which I found so confusing because they’re everywhere! Now I understand they didn’t see the world the same. These days my work is focused on pattern & visual perception. I paint very decorative abstracts with circles & dots, I often refer to as a sort of abstract pointillism. I distort photography by weaving images together & often end up with a lot of kaleidoscopic pieces. Being born with VS & used to the symptoms I learnt to look through it a bit more. Although some things can be difficult it’s all I know. Even on the calmest day & in the simplest of environments, surroundings that may seem static & plain to others are full of movement & decor to someone with VS. It’s a hidden beauty only a few of us can actually see. I’m planning a new body of work exploring this more & hopeful it will raise awareness of the condition & help find a cure for those really struggling.”
