Distorted Perception/Representation of a Moment

This topic led me to several definitions of 'distorted perception' when doing soft-search. Before writing about it's representation in a moment, it's best to understand what really a distorted perception is. A distorted perception is an abnormality in sensory or psychological perception. This can be the result of psychological disorders, damage to the brain or nervous systems, medications or other potential interruptions to the cognitive processes involved in perception. But i think we can all agree that one doesn't need to have a psychological or any other disorder to have a distorted perception.

Perception is pure in its original state. It can become distorted by what Bhante Gunaratana calls ' the virus of concepts '. Bhante points out that despite the initial purity of perception, ' concepts, ideas, opinions, beliefs, and many other categories of conditioning have influenced our perception. In essence, our perception has become distorted.

The representation of distorted perception in a still moment has a lot do with subjectivity of course and it may come out in such details that we only see when we're dreaming. Distortion in dreams is a whole other topic but it has it's influence on me when painting. Or, in other words, i believe that a distorted perception might transform into a distorted dream (in a painting), but only in details. When representing a still moment or an arrested motion with several distortions, i aim to effect the viewer's perception of the painting and create an illusion. I almost aim to create an effect of a lucid dream. Which, in my case is the awareness and control towards what's going on in the painting. When i'm painting, i have the ability to control the distortion of my perception, unlike in real life. That makes me gain control and helps me create a subjective area to reflect on. And when painting, just like in dreams, there may be repetitions of details and circling back on's.

It is a topic full of contradictions, but contradiction is the essence of it.