STATEMENT OF WORK

My work is a satirical commentary on technology’s pervasive influence on humanity, investigating the relevance and impact of digital media consumption. Driven by contemporary cultural anxieties and the overwhelming influx of content that bombards individuals daily, the work fuses the promised utopia of technological advances with the dystopian realities of digital addiction, privacy erosion, and algorithmic manipulation of human behavior.

With a multidisciplinary approach, I create assemblages, installations and drawings that reflect the apocalyptic fears surrounding media and advanced technology’s impact on society and mental health. These real and imagined dangers are explored by utilizing the visual language and physical components of contemporary media. Dense black charcoal drawings of rebus puzzles use words and symbols that conjure up sociopolitical controversies with sardonic humor in playful compositions. Large up-scaled paintings of writhing viscera are framed, embellished or entirely enveloped with e-waste. Screens of various sizes displaying looping videos are encased in sticky masses of computer innards. Dead or broken screens stand on precarious posts or lie in a pile on the floor offering nothing but empty blackness. Motion graphic animations employ media vernacular such as push notifications, alerts, and interrupting news flashes that demand attention but offer no valuable information.

Employing materialist principles, I use accumulated e-waste- discarded computer components, wires, screens and obsolete personal devices, to drive the physical formation of the work. Easy access to discarded technology offers a reservoir of possibilities. I use what is readily available from local sources and personal donations. There is minimal alteration to the original components which are deconstructed and then reassembled into something new. Palettes are dictated by the material’s inherent properties. The work draws attention to evidence of human construction within technology, like handwritten labels on wires, tags and markings found inside components. Maintaining the integrity and history of the e-waste is crucial, allowing obsolete devices to reference their place in time and reflect society's insatiable desire for the newest gadgets and software. Deconstructing components allows me to see the individual parts revealing the complexity but also the fragility of these devices. Using an excessive amount of material in the work mirrors the overwhelming nature of technological advancement and consumption.

 Silicone adhesive is used for attaching e-waste and wires to surfaces and substrates. After curing, the material retains its sticky shine. This is ideal for giving the work an appearance of being a living, breathing organism, reinforcing the cultural fantasy of A.I. causing a digital metamorphosis where e-waste transforms into a living force poised to destroy humanity. Silicon, the key element in the adhesive, is entirely free from carbon, making it a composition that is as far away from being alive as scientifically possible. In its pure form, it is used to create semiconductors for computer chips. This contradiction humorously parodies the doomsday belief of Silicon Valley technology coming alive and taking over humanity.

Incorporating motion graphics and video elements reflects the evolving landscape of visual culture. By integrating these moving elements, my work acknowledges the increasing prevalence of video content in our daily lives. This approach allows me to engage with the changing nature of visual consumption, where animated and video-based media have become more dominant than traditional static images. The work investigates how this shift affects our perception, attention, and interpretation of visual information. It also explores how we assign value and meaning to different types of visual media in our rapidly evolving digital age.

Inspired by the current “selfie age” and the widespread ability to video document every aspect of life, I create using the same personal devices and graphic software employed in the media we consume daily. Creative parameters are set to produce recognizable formats similar to those seen in social media feeds or amateur video documentation. The iconic and compositionally awkward Instagram square ratio, flashy short-form videos, and high-speed editing with layered video collaging are some of the techniques explored. These formats offer a sense of contemporary familiarity as they are combined with visuals that may be unsettling or bewildering. My aim is to contrast the physical realities and consequences of the increasing digital world, while acknowledging its benefits and embracing the novelty and ecstatic feeling of using the newest, most exciting technology.

Immersing myself in new and unfamiliar digital tools creates a space for investigative play, which is essential to my practice. This state of excitement often leads to unexpected outcomes. The challenges encountered when using software, with YouTube tutorials as my primary learning resource, enhance creativity by forcing me to think outside conventional boundaries and find unique solutions. This approach not only keeps my work fresh but also aligns it with the ever-evolving digital landscape my work critiques.

My work serves as a multi-faceted conceptual statement, elevating discarded technology to artistic status while commenting on the energy overconsumption, waste and human consequences. The projects expose the problems of rapidly advancing technology while humorously referencing post-apocalyptic pop culture stories of this technology taking over society. I aim to provoke thought about our relationship with digital devices, the environmental impact of our tech driven culture, and the physical realities of our virtual world.