Briagolong Gallery will open its doors to a rare and compelling exhibition this April, showcasing the work of totally blind Australian artist Jeff McNeill.
Mind’s Eye View launches on Saturday, April 4, at 2pm and will run until May 10, 2026.
The exhibition offers an extraordinary insight into a contemporary painting practice guided entirely by lived experience, memory, and imagination, rather than sight.
Using acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, Mr McNeill translates personal experiences into visual form. Inspired by UK blind artist Sargy Mann and mentored by Betra Fraval through Arts Access Victoria, Mr McNeill has developed a highly physical, process-driven approach to painting.
He employs Blu Tack and elastics as spatial guides, painting with his fingers alongside brushes to navigate the canvas.
Mind’s Eye View invites audiences into Mr McNeill’s world, where each work is symbolic rather than abstract or photographic.
The paintings reflect the artist’s responses to real-life experiences through contemplation, negotiation, and intuition.
Mr McNeill explains that he stands before the easel imagining, strategising, meditating on experiences, listening to others, and forming images in his mind before committing them to paint.
The exhibition challenges conventional ideas of perception and authorship, offering visitors a powerful perspective on how art can be created, experienced, and understood beyond vision alone.
For art lovers and the curious alike, Mind’s Eye View promises a thought-provoking and inspiring journey into the possibilities of human creativity.
