some thoughts about my work
posted 12/06
My work focuses on the systems and structures of social interaction and the influences of technology, dealing with themes of performance and representation, identity and relationships, control and feedback. I am interested in the slightly uncomfortable moments when patterns are shifted, expectations are broken, and participants become aware of the system.
I begin with my own feelings of anxiety and inadequacy when dealing with interpersonal relations. On one hand, the social expectations governing behavior and interaction are so clear to me. Smile, greet, inquire about the other’s well being, nod and listen sympathetically, respond… The structures and routines are necessary to keep society running and provide us with a context within which to situate our feelings and actions.
However, what limits come with these familiar interactions? How often do we find ourselves performing the script of our lives rather than actually living it, embracing the unknown and unplanned? Are there possibilities for more meaningful, more intimate, less superficial exchanges?
Rejecting the system as a whole may be impractical and impossible, but what options exist within it? My work strives to use technology to find the loopholes, open up spaces of experimentation and improvisation, subvert the existing norms of social interaction. Perhaps in this everyone can find a place that fits them best, an understanding of the edges of expected behavior, and an awareness and hope of possibilities beyond them.
I work primarily in everyday life, attempting to blend reality, fiction, performance, art, and humor. I start with common social situations – a gym workout, a conversation, a first introduction – and introduce variations into the normal routine. These may take the form of site specific video installations, everyday performances, electronic devices for altering interactions, viral internet videos, websites, and mobile apps.
My process is very iterative, with each project inspiring and informing the next. Participation of others is always critical – each piece is an open work that is completed, extended, and changed by the actions and experiences of participants. I make things that can be injected directly into everyday life, so that participants interpret and integrate them in that context, rather than in the vacuum of a gallery space.