I am fascinated by how technology mediates our experience of the world. It shapes how we move around cities, our memories and our identity. It shapes with whom we communicate, how we communicate and our relationships. Our bodies are re-wired to always be “on” by responding to every ding and buzz from our pocket. Our memory is diminishing as a result at having these tools within constant reach. How much is technology a mirror? How much does it shape us with what we remember? How does that impact our identity? How can we create new experiences with it? These are questions that have been driving my current research practice, which includes the creation of poetic devices, the impact of technology on our culture and creating environments that make perceptible phenomena that aren't otherwise, such as Alzheimer’s, memory flashbacks or walking through a field of stars.
Light and sound possess the unique quality of lacking mass, while still having volume. They are ephemeral components of our daily lives. We are biologically wired to understand each. A glimmer of light or soft sound could signal an opportunity for food. A sudden sound or flash of light could be a forewarning of danger. In one of its simplest forms, a pulse of light is a communication signal. These moments of light and sound create a temporal presence. They transport messages and information. When I incorporate time-based materials, I can weave different narratives over time with their effects lasting longer than their presence. Dark spaces punctuated by light and sound events, they speak about the fragility and haphazard nature of time, communication, memory and experience.
In my research practice, I develop vibrant coded systems wherein a handful of specific governing rules provide a plethora of complex output, across lights, speakers and tiny screens. I write programs and couple them to custom hardware circuits. The outcomes are physically responsive and interactive systems. I choreograph the outputs with attention to timing, appearance, location, intensity, fragmentation and interactivity. I create multiples of the objects and distribute them throughout space. This creates a layered environment that can envelop a person’s body. My installation work is alive and often interactive with viewers, drawing them into the piece to participate in either content creation or triggering the work quietly with their body. There is always physicality to my work, whether it is an object that enshrouds the data or a system to visualize it.
As an artist who comes from a sculptural background, I see electronic technology as the realm of ultimate tools. Access to that realm allows me to dream up anything with the power to bring it into fruition, to make the impossible real. I have acquired the firm belief that I must make my work from the ground up. This endeavor requires an immense amount of research, knowledge and skill acquisition. I am at the helm through the entire process, as this is a place where new possibilities for each project are constantly presenting themselves. It is at these points where the work grows and matures, and I feel that it’s essential to be in the driving seat for this process.