A fourth person story

Stories are only interesting to tell if told from the eyes of many. We’re invested in romance because the relationship is viewed from the different heads of the lovers, mysteries reel us in with twisted tales and lies to modify the story, and riveting chronicles keep us interested in drama. There are so many stories existing, yet so many more to tell through a new perspective. Australia-based artist 4th Perspective knows all about it.

You can check his work out on Instagram and Twitter.

There’s always more to a story than you know.

There’s so much that goes into a name, I believe, so what can you tell us about yours—4th Perspective?

I put a lot of thought into my artist name. My first thought was to go with something flippant like ProbablyBen or something silly, but upon deeper reflection I went with 4th Perspective after the fourth person perspective used in writing which is often referred to as a collection of perspectives rather than just one, or a narrator which has a stake in the story he is telling. This hits hard for me as somebody who has suffered Pathological Depersonalization for most of my life, feeling myself to be an observer even in my own life, merely documenting.

You describe yourself as both an artist and a photographer. Are your works a combination of both worlds?

Absolutely! My biggest shortcoming as an artist and as a person is that I'm an innovator rather than a creator. When seated in front of a blank canvas, I see nothing, but with my camera in hand, I can document what already exists and alter it to fit a vision I have. Every artist needs a place to start—for some it is a blank canvas or piece of paper; for me, it's the world around me.

If one were to scroll down far enough on your Showtime page, they’d discover pieces in a style totally different from your more recent works—more cartoonish pieces in an array of styles from retro video games and anime to Archer- and superhero comic-style. Was this a phase, and is there a reason for your transition to the more realistic style you adapt now?

Oh, that would be a quirk of Showtime itself. It tends to show up things I have minted as "created.” My main styles can be put into 2 categories: my main artwork, which is a collection of somber, spine-chilling and spooky images generally quite muted in palette, and The Trees, a collection of AI assisted artworks made based on my own tree photography and animated by hand.

Trees and plants seem to be a common thread among your pieces. Is there any significance to them?

Absolutely! I live in rural Victoria, Australia and I am fortunate enough to live in a town with an abundance of interesting trees. When I started photography I took a keen liking to them and thought deeply on how they made me feel. I soon came to realize that each and every tree has a distinct personality, but most weren't recognisable to us as humans, so I took those I could understand and changed them to how I saw and felt about them so that others could feel as I did.

Mental health is a really important driving element behind the creation of your pieces. Why is this?

That's a big topic! I would say it's mostly because of my partner who has a condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder) to whom I am a full time caretaker. Seeing her everyday struggles and the person who she has become despite her condition is a constant inspiration. I have learned more about the human mind from her than I could ever have from any other source.

You describe yourself as a “connoisseur of derangement.” Such an interesting statement—is there a story behind it?

Not much story behind that, honestly. I have a strong Australian humor and as such I tend towards self-deprecation not as a form of self-harm, but as a way to cope with things I'm not yet comfortable with; like people actually liking what I create.

Being half-blind in a path of work that requires so much visual tact and rigor must be a different experience from full-sighted and fully blind artists. What has been yours throughout your career?

Great question! It's definitely a big struggle in that it's not just one eye that I've lost most of the vision from, but both eyes have been degrading since I was sixteen due to a condition called Keratoconus (a deformation of the cornea which makes it thin and blur all vision). It led to my left cornea splitting and becoming cloudy.

I am nothing if not adaptable, so when my left eye became basically unusable for any detail, I now use it as my "composition eye" when working on photography, so I can see what the general shape of the scene is and what bokeh may look like at a glance. As for how I work, I've had to invest in technology to continue my work, like a new camera with better autofocusing and larger monitors that I can sit entirely too close to!

I find a lot of humor in my condition though, often making jokes at my own expense; as long as it makes somebody laugh, I'm happy with it 🙂

courtesy of the now defunct Personalities blog by Creator Collection