Opinion

High pitched aubergines

Chris Bennett

The fascinating  condition achromatopsia  has been highlighted by the BBC and the story of the Artist Neil Harbisson  and his entry into art as a youngster with no colour vision.

This lead him to link up with a cybernetics student who constructed a head-mounted device to transfer colours into sounds. Harbisson now creates works of sound art and relates his experiences of colour through sound. The BBC piece is a an interesting look at an incurable and interesting visual condition and how the artist 'sees' the world.

I particularly like his explanation of faces and skin colour but what would his favourite colour/sound be? A sunset, fine art, the hues of green countryside or swaying corn? No a vegetable, as he explains to the BBC:' my favourite colour is aubergine. It looks black but it is actually violet or purple, and it sounds very high-pitched.'

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