Tunnel Vision

(India ink and graphite pencil on paper, 18”x13.5”)

The sixth piece in the Half-life series plunges into the psychological realm. At first, I conceived Tunnel Vision as a visualization of the figurative blindness and self-absorption that can result from living too much in one’s own head. It can certainly still be interpreted that way. However, at the time I was producing Tunnel Vision, events were developing that caused me to see the piece in a new way. Stories about artificial intelligence advances were becoming commonplace, as were debates about the potential and merit of such technology. I was struck by this 21st century contradiction: As a whole, humanity seems to be increasingly desperate to find purpose and, simultaneously, increasingly eager to surrender any agency on the altar of “progress”. Tunnel Vision became my own small commentary on this wider search for meaning amidst the race towards our own obsolescence. Human experience is a gift; let’s not give it away without a fight.

In contrast to the other works in the Half-life series, Tunnel Vision features a totally black background, which offers a striking visual departure. As in Borderland, here I again combined India ink and graphite, using the latter to capture the texture of the fur hood and the shadows and contours of the face.

The Half-life playlist track which corresponds to this drawing is “Blind Alley” by Fanny. The lyrics of this absolute jam released in 1972 seem prescient when interpreted from a 2024 perspective. I agree with David Bowie’s opinion that Fanny deserve to be listed among the greats. But don’t take our word for it! Check out this chronically underrated band for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCqyznXdAYhqp0YVi6XnXe9b9_HxuVqXa