Self-portrait with an Optical Migraine

By Sally Fama Cochrane

22" x 28". Oil on canvas. Summer 2009.

Optical migraines are shimmery light experiences that often accompany migraines. In my case, the migraine "orb" forms a similar pattern each time which blocks out major fields of vision. This self-portrait uses the set-up of a mirror and the optical migraine to demonstrate the many levels through which visual stimuli must go before we get to "what we see." The portrait is only visible through the mirror, parts are reflected off of the mirror's frame, I'm wearing glasses which correct my vision, and the optical migraine shows the neural processes that interpret the image coming in through the eye.