Neil Harbisson was never a fan of Mark Rothko. Or any abstract artist for that matter. Harbisson's extreme color blindness - a congenital condition called achromatopsia - dulled even great works based on shape and tone rather than pictoral image.
But now his life - and his art - have been transformed by a device called the Eyeborg, which enables him to perceive color by sound, and to - quite literally - "compose" paintings (see his self-portrait, right, and others here).
As the U.K. Sunday Times explains, the Eyeborg is a camera and laptop device which uses differing frequency to transforming color in front of the head-mounted lens into sound, played back to Harbisson via an earpiece. Originally a six-color device, the Eyeborg has evolved to 360 colors, giving Harbisson (also a musician) great range as an visual artist.
The device was designed by cybernetics expert, Adam Montandon, at HMC Interactive, the British media-tech company he co-founded. The cyborg-art collaboration began three years ago. Harbisson heard Montandon lecture at Dartington College of Arts in England, when a student there, and went up to him afterwards.
Speaking to The Underwire from his home in Barcelona, Spain, Harbisson revealed the Eyeborg has transformed more than his art appreciation. "I didn't know color was everywhere, in so many places. I still "see" black and white but I remember feeling very emotional the first time I perceived color. It was red." That remains his favorite "sound". Purple, he said, makes him "uncomfortable". The Eyeborg doesn't pick up black, white or gray, which Harbisson can both see, for real - and perceive as silence.
The sound and art combo offers some intriguing possibilities. Harbisson is part-way through a project with fellow artist and performer, Moon Ribas, making paintings in all Europe's capital cities by picking up the predominant color (London is Golden Red). They are now looking for sponsors to extend it to the U.S. - the color of Sacramento, anyone? - and Central and South America. Meanwhile, Harbisson told me the unique "gaze" of the Eyeborg has transformed Mark Rothko into one of his favorite artists.
Image: Self Portrait, 2007, via www.harbisson.com
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