I have been exploring ways of adapting an eye-tracking device as a contemporary drawing medium, which also developed into my current practice-based PhD research at the University of Edinburgh. We are living in an age where we are surrounded with devices that ’see’ us and quantify our actions on a daily routine. The eye-tracker is such a device, which utility expanded throughout scientific research, marketing, gaming, user experience, industry and performance among others.
We are usually under scrutiny by the eye-tracker. It observes our vision biology and quantifies our eye movements, while uncovering layers about our visual attention. I am interested in taking agency of this through contemporary drawing practice: I use the eye-tracker while looking and eye drawing simultaneously, acknowledging the limitations of the eye biology, the drawing process and the technology.
Phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty himself had stated:
“The eye is an instrument that moves itself, a means which invents its own ends; it is that which has been moved by some impact of the world, which it then restores to the visible through the offices of an agile hand.” (Merleau-Ponty 1964; 165)
I am challenging this through the delicate dance between looking (the eye) and the drawing process.
The process of my method of eye drawing includes:
. the technological embodiment in between the gaze and the machine,
. the acknowledgement of involuntary “mark-making” as a result of the unpredictability of the eye’s movements, the software’s interpretation of the data and computational development,
. drawing through a machine (implying a cyborg element), and therefore drawing as a result of data recordings,
. a highlight on the versatility of drawing, which extends through data, 2D digital prints, 3D renders and video work.
After using the eye-tracker I export its raw data as .csv coordinates, which I then plot as drawings through the use of 3D software.
The work, ”Doodling with the eyes and hand”, is a doodling experiment, where I attempted to doodle both with my right hand and with my eyes. The hand-doodling took place on a squared green paper and a multi-coloured BIC pen was used. There was no pre-planning of what to draw/doodle. I intuitively found myself elaborating the doodle through the squares presented by the surface. Whenever I was drawing with my hand, I also wore the eye-tracking device as I attempted to also doodle with my eyes, venturing into the multi-layered properties of the drawing process.
The doodling took place on different days, which prompted the use of different colours. The development of the doodle through different days superficially reminded me of the ”giornate” sectioning in the traditional Renaissance frescoes.
The final drawing process therefore resulted in:
. An eye-drawing of the doodle digitally printed on paper, measuring 60x70 cm.
. A hand-drawn doodle with pen on paper, measuring 10x15 cm (uploaded as complementary artwork n. 1).
. A video of the eye-drawing sitting within the 3-dimensional space, accessible via a QR code. The following unlisted link leads to the respective video: https://youtu.be/rPcqTnUh2uA.