“Once I put the glasses on for the first time, it was incredible”

How many pairs of spectacles or sunglasses do you own?

Four pairs: three prescription glasses and one prescription sunglass.

What frame shapes, colours or styles do you usually go for?

I like quite classic shapes and I’m partial to a nice coloured pair. But my most recent are wire-framed and rounder than I’ve gone for before and I’m really enjoying them.

Can you describe your favourite pair?

My newest pair from Cult Vision. They are a rounder wire-framed pair with tortoiseshell arms.

Who would you pick as your style icon when it comes to eyewear?

I think I would pick my dad. He always used to wear these thick, bright blue see-through frames from Cutler and Gross. They really defined him.

How long have you worn spectacles for, and what prompted you to go for your first sight test?

I’ve only worn glasses for the last three years. I discovered I had astigmatism and needed glasses after being offered a free eye test and frames from the brand Bailey Nelson. Once I put the glasses on for the first time, it was incredible; I had no idea there was that much detail out there.

What does vision and eye health mean to you?

Right now, it means a lot. I’ve had issues with headaches over the last few months behind my right eye. After an eye test with Panos, the optometrist at Cult Vision, he explained that I was suffering from an eye convergence insufficiency. He put a slight prism in my new glasses to help alleviate the symptoms, and it’s made a massive difference.

How important is eyewear to reflecting your personality?

Really important. It took me a while to adapt to my new glasses-wearing self, and for even longer I kept them out of my public-facing persona, as an artist who performs their craft. I just didn’t feel like they were part of the costume. But now they are involved with both. I really enjoy the way the different styles of frames bring out different people in me.

I really enjoy the way the different styles of frames bring out different people in me

You have previously written about your journey as a glasses-wearer, and how our spectacles have helped you move between ‘Clark Kent’ and ‘Superman’. Could you explain what this means for you?

I like to have some distance between me as Archie, and Archie Proudfoot the artist and sign painter. It helps, I think, to enjoy ‘performing’ a kind of online persona on social media. Clark Kent is me at home with my family and seeing friends. Superman is camera-facing and published to tens of thousands of followers. But at the same time, to make a relatable public persona I need to allow some of Clark in there as well. It’s a tricky balance.

Can you tell us about your partnership with Cult Vision?

Cult Vision asked me to be their artist in residence for their annual involvement in Clerkenwell Design Week. They have a window space with a wall behind it that they offer to different artists and designers to use as a gallery. I decided to use the window itself for my installation. A lot of the artwork I make is done on glass using the traditional craft technique of reverse-glass gilding. It’s what you see on old pub mirrors – gold leaf is applied to glass to make a mirrored surface. I do that, but with a contemporary sensibility. For my piece at Cult Vision, I recreated one of my classic designs, ‘WOW,’ on a massive scale. It was very exciting.

What are your top three tips for selecting the right pair of frames?

1. Get two pairs in different styles. Then you can have a relatively conservative pair for everyday use, and a bolder one for when you want to be more striking
2. Trust your gut response
3. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous.