You Always Look at the Universe Through Your Sunglasses

You Always Look at the Universe Through Your Sunglasses

In the foreground, we see the upper body of a man with blue hair and grey, almost black and white skin. His face is partly covered by golden sunglasses that completely obscure his eyes. Tiny objects are attached to the glasses, including electronic components and small fruits. They can be interpreted as symbols of the figure’s unusual or heightened perception.
Also striking are the crooked nose and a shiny turquoise fishscale grid covering the mouth like a rolledup curtain. While the glasses block the figure’s eyes and therefore his direct gaze, the grid limits his ability to express himself or visibly smile. It can also suggest how drug use may alter the way a person communicates and expresses themselves. At the same time, he seems to perceive something hidden from others.
Below the figure is a dark blue area separated by a narrow white strip. A pregnancy test with three lines is attached to it. While two lines would normally indicate pregnancy, the additional line creates a deliberate sense of ambiguity. It turns a familiar everyday object into a mysterious symbol, suggesting that the meaning of things can shift within an altered perception.
A thin silver and black frame in the upper half of the work creates an optical illusion of depth. The glasses block direct sight, the grid restricts the mouth, and the figure seems to retreat further into his own world of perception.
Particularly interesting is the way the blue hair gradually dissolves into the background through painted streaks on the right side. This can symbolize the loss of a clear boundary between the person and their surroundings, between reality and fantasy. Perhaps the figure is beginning to dissolve into his own experience. At the same time, the trip can be understood as a form of retreat (a protective space for a particularly sensitive person who temporarily blocks out the outside world in order to withdraw into another reality).
The work explores drug use and altered perception. Through consumption, the figure seems to gain access to a world or perceptions that remain inaccessible to others. Yet this access comes at a price: as his perception expands, other things are taken away from him.
In the background, vivid orange and blue meet in a strong complementary contrast. The animalprint pattern echoes the color of the hair, visually connecting the figure with his surroundings.

The work therefore explores the boundary between perception and loss of control, and between the enriching and destructive sides of drug use. It asks not only what an altered perception can make visible, but also what may be lost in the process.

Details 

• Artist: Milena Sündermann
  
• Title: Always Watching the Universe Through Sunglasses
  
• Year: 2018
  
• Medium: Mixed Media
  
• Dimensions: 40 × 30 × 2 cm
  
• Original artwork