Parallax Still Life II

This is my second serious attempt at the depiction of what may be called the "parallax" effect of our two eyes, that is, the observable doubled image of entities not directly focused on. I post it here in order to document the progression of the idea, but with some degree of reticence since, in certain respects, this painting fails where the first succeeded. 
            My primary concern in these paintings is to depict the integrative action of the eyes as they focus on an entity. I must stress that my purpose is in no way to project a distorted or arbitrarily manipulated representation of vision. It is focus that I am concerned with, not distortion. 
            As such, a crucial aspect of the representation is that the objects depicted in focus must have some self-assertive quality. They must stand out from the doubled objects as meriting special attention. This is where my first attempt succeeded. The object of primary focus is the piece of paper on which is the drawing of a tree, which stands out in that it is a drawing and that it bears the signature.  In this second attempt the objects of primary focus, the mirror frame and the branch, are mundane relative to the other objects depicted, and as such do not assert themselves as demanding the viewer's attention.  The lesson here is that if one is to present an object specifically as in focus it must be something worth focusing on. 
             The second aspect in which Parallax I was successful is that the object of primary focus resides directly behind an object in parallax—the edge of the cabinet. By directly superposing the one in front of the other, the action of looking past the cabinet towards the drawing is made clearly intelligible. In Parallax II I attempted to repeat this effect via the position of the candle in front of the mirror frame. However, their intersection is so limited that the effect is all but lost. 
             The success of my second attempt lies in the depiction of doubling itself. I am becoming more confident in selecting what features to isolate in the doubled objects without effacing their 3-dimensional reality.
             I have not chosen my next subject, but I will use the following guidelines in its selection: a more limited array of objects, an emphasis on the superposition of object in front of object, and the correspondence of relative focus to relative value-importance of the object.  I also think that a more selective use of lighting could be valuable. 






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