Dawning presbyopia

Presbyopia comes from the Greek presbys πρέσβυς, which means “old man” or “ancient”. It’s a condition associated with the ageing of the eyes that makes reading fine print and doing detailed work more difficult. This is not due to illness, but rather the natural ageing process of the eye. While the process begins at birth, its effects aren’t felt until around age 40-45. With “Dawning presbyopia”, Alexandre Morelli illustrates the deterioration of his vision through softly blurred images. The artist, recently diagnosed with presbyopia (like many men his age), has gathered photos in this collection that are drawn from his recent travels. At first, the images give the impression that they’re the work of masterful brushstrokes, but it’s nothing but a dazzling illusion—they’re all photographs. The images are gently blurred at the moment they’re taken. The act of photography is an attempt to freeze a given moment in time, but the movement of the shutter and the length of exposure transform that instant into something else. Harsh lines fade away and details blend into an impressionistic image.