Simulate

Artist Statement

This body of work considers the ambiguity between the authenticity of humankind and the obscurity of technology and how visual representations can traverse the boundaries between these realms. The theme of artificial intelligence’s lack of awareness surrounding human emotion imbues itself in the series to highlight the pronounced differences between society and computerized networks.

My process begins with employing code that retrieves image results of a user-given keyword and generates color palettes based on the returned photographs. By inputting search keywords that represent obscure human experiences, such as nostalgia, I examine how the computer attempts to visually interpret concepts it could never perceive itself.

I introduce a synergy between technology and reality by creating tangible mixed media paintings influenced by these hex-coded hues. By staining Dura-lar film with acrylic paint and everyday objects, the handmade process reveals itself in the collages. The matte and gloss transparencies of the medium establish the paintings as an element of the physical environment through their interaction with light and display surfaces. Through highlighting materiality and mark-making, the paintings evolve from the digital output they are inspired from into their own respective entities.

To further address the limitations of the relationship between humans and machines, I engage with graphical coding and video software to observe how returning my paintings to exist in the programming world alters their character and recognize how the systems determine meaning of such natural forms.