Creative and Critical Studies, Faculty of (Okanagan)
DSpace
UBCO
Doody, Jorden Blue
Master of Fine Arts - MFA
University of British Columbia
This supporting paper investigates the process and outcomes of my thesis art exhibition I Must Be Streaming held at the Kelowna Art Gallery. My MFA thesis exhibition and research paper investigate how contemporary culture responds to notions of presence and absence of the body in the digital age where illusion, escape and distraction are at the forefront of the collective consciousness. Through a practice led research, I engage in a wide variety of creative processes including sewing, felting, woodworking, mural painting, and post digital design. By presenting a group of artworks that are the result of both traditional and contemporary studio processes I am uncovering new areas of knowing while connecting my artistic practice to the rich interdisciplinary context of feminist research. My main objective for this written research is to acknowledge the visual language and supporting context that has emerged from the overlapping aspects of installation art and the concept of site specificity. With the rising tide of online digital communities, I am interested in how culture instinctively shares experiences using key attributes and theories of relational aesthetics. By examining the importance of touch and how our four senses were once engendered in a hierarchical manner dividing men, women and nature my research explores ecofeminism and aligns the parallel inequalities that women and nature have shared under the reign of capitalism. This topic leads me to discuss the desensitization of touch through the digitally mediated aspects of our social lives where we remotely communicate with one another on a regular basis. By creating an immersive installation, it is my aim to welcome the viewer as a crucial catalyst that activates the works of art in a dream scene sequence of experiences. Through the examination of spatial aesthetics, fabricated objects, and the mediated image, my thesis explores the tangibility of sharing tacit knowledge and embodied experience through networks of concrete materiality.
I MUST BE STREAMING by Jorden Blue Doody B.F.A., The University of British Columbia, 2008 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS In The College of Graduate Studies (Visual Arts) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) May 2021 © Jorden Blue Doody, 2021 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis/dissertation entitled: I Must Be Streaming submitted by Jorden Blue Doody in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Fine Arts. Renay Egami, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisor Michael V. Smith, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Suzanne Gott, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Emily Murphy, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies University Examiner iii Abstract This supporting paper investigates the process and outcomes of my thesis art exhibition I Must Be Streaming held at the Kelowna Art Gallery. My MFA thesis exhibition and research paper investigate how contemporary culture responds to notions of presence and absence of the body in the digital age where illusion, escape and distraction are at the forefront of the collective consciousness. Through a practice led research, I engage in a wide variety of creative processes including sewing, felting, woodworking, mural painting, and post digital design. By presenting a group of artworks that are the result of both traditional and contemporary studio processes I am uncovering new areas of knowing while connecting my artistic practice to the rich interdisciplinary context of feminist research. My main objective for this written research is to acknowledge the visual language and supporting context that has emerged from the overlapping aspects of installation art and the concept of site specificity. With the rising tide of online digital communities, I am interested in how culture instinctively shares experiences using key attributes and theories of relational aesthetics. By examining the importance of touch and how our four senses were once engendered in a hierarchical manner dividing men, women and nature my research explores ecofeminism and aligns the parallel inequalities that women and nature have shared under the reign of capitalism. This topic leads me to discuss the desensitisation of touch through the digitally mediated aspects of our social lives where we remotely communicate with one another on a regular basis. By creating an immersive installation, it is my aim to welcome the viewer as a crucial catalyst that activates the works of art in a dream scene sequence of experiences. Through the examination of spatial aesthetics, fabricated objects, and the mediated iv image, my thesis explores the tangibility of sharing tacit knowledge and embodied experience through networks of concrete materiality. v Lay Summary My MFA degree research is based on two components. The first being the visual arts exhibition titled I Must Be Streaming that includes one mural and 5 mixed media sculptures. In accompaniment to the art show is the thesis research paper that intends to investigate how a visual art exhibition can invigorate communication about current affairs in contemporary culture. I aim to use the artwork in the gallery to stimulate conversations and/or contemplations about the importance of touch and connection to the physical world by still actively participating in the dynamic potentials of the digital realm. I am interested in these topics because I believe that it is important to stay consciously grounded in our present surroundings so that we can address our environmental and social concerns thoughtfully using technology as a tool and not as a distraction. vi Table of Contents Abstractâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.... iii Lay Summaryâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦v Table of Contentsâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦...vi Image Listâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦â¦..vii Acknowledgmentsâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦viii Dedicationâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦...ix Chapter 1.1: Introductionâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦1 1.2: Artistic Philosophyâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.3 Chapter 2: Thesis Research 2.1: Where I Belongâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦â¦â¦.â¦5 2.2: The Impact on the Specifics of Site and Timeâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...15 2.3: The COVID Influenceâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦18 2.4: I Must Be Streamingâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..21 2.5: Speaking Through Touchâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...25 2.6: Circumstances of the New Socialâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦..31 2.7: The Digital Experienceâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..39 2.8: Desire Linesâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...45 2.9: The Quality of Consumptionâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.51 Chapter 3: Conclusionâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦..58 Works Citedâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦. â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦.61 vii Image List Figure 2.1.1 Phyllida Barlow, follyâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.â¦10 Figure 2.1.2 Barbara Kruger, FOREVERâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..â¦12 Figure 2.1.3 Claes Oldenburg, The Store (1961) â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..â¦â¦â¦....14 Figure 2.4.1 Jorden Doody, Networth Muralâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..â¦â¦â¦.â¦.22 Figure 2.5.1 Jorden Doody, i feel uâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..â¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦27 Figure 2.5.2 Jorden Doody, Installation view - i feel u and Heartfeltâ¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..â¦30 . Figure 2.6.1 Jorden Doody, Heartfeltâ¦â¦â¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..â¦...â¦.35 Figure 2.6.2 Jorden Doody, Installation view - Heartfelt and Virtually Emptyâ¦.â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦38 Figure 2.7.1 Jorden Doody, Virtually Empty.â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...40 Figure 2.8.1 Jorden Doody, Foolâs Goldâ¦â¦...â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦47 Figure 2.8.2 Jorden Doody, Installation view - Foolâs Gold and Saturatedâ¦...â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..50 Figure 2.9.1 Jorden Doody, Saturatedâ¦...â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...â¦54 Figure 2.9.2 Jorden Doody, Installation view - I Must Be Streamingâ¦...â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦57 viii Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge my supervisor Renay Egami for all of her input, guidance and support over the last three years. Thank you for taking me under your wing, it has been so wonderful working with you. I would like to thank my committee members Michael V. Smith and Dr. Suzanne Gott for their insightful perspectives and encouraging words throughout my degree. I would like to extend my gratitude towards my instructors Virginie Magnat, Samuel Roy-Bois and Tania Willard for sharing their knowledge and resources in pursuit of higher learning. I would like to thank Julie Hollenbach for writing the exhibition essay for I Must Be Streaming, and the Kelowna Art Gallery for hosting my thesis exhibition. Thank you to David Doody for accompanying me on this journey in search of art and education. Thank you to Lindsay Kirker for being my confidante. Thank you to my children Joshua and Sierra for being a constant stream of inspiration, and of course, a lifetime of appreciation to my grandmother Penny and my mother Delee for being such enthusiasts of creativity, arts and culture. ix For Joshua Clearwater & Sierra Rain 1 Chapter 1.1: Introduction This paper is in accompaniment to my MFA Exhibition, I Must Be Streaming, shown at the Kelowna Art Gallery between July 25th and Nov 2nd, 2020. It acts as a descriptive record of my process, research and outcomes during the two years of preparation and production. The artwork presented in, I Must Be Streaming, at the Kelowna Art Gallery is a curated selection of works that I have created as a student in the MFA program at UBCO. The central drive in pursuing my masterâs degree at UBC Okanagan was to dedicate an extended period of time to explore my own artistic practice and to further my own unique artistic voice. I graduated with my BFA degree in 2008 from UBCO, and in the 12 years since then I have maintained an active exhibition practice working in collaboration with my partner David Doody. Although I have had many exciting and successful experiences in the field, I began to recognize that the key to unlocking the door to my own artistic voice was to immerse myself into an independent studio practice where there was time and space for me to think through the making. During these past two years in residence as an MFA candidate at UBCO, I am so grateful for having been exposed to a number of new perspectives and contexts that I had not previously explored or considered to be relevant to my art making practice. This dedicated time and devoted exploration working with the FCCS faculty has broadened my point of view and deeply enriched my material practice with critical concepts. Since the exhibitionâs opening, I have taken the opportunity to return to the gallery many times as a viewer. Each time I return, I reflect on the circumstances that infused the work with purpose and direction. Seeing the work in its completion allows me to experience and expand 2 upon my own interpretations in relation to how the work is affecting the general public. With this point of view, I am able to inhabit the show with a well-rounded understanding of the complete experience. What follows is the written support for my thesis exhibition, I Must Be Streaming. This collection of descriptions, anecdotes, and references are in no way intended to be an exhaustive reading of the works, nor are they a suitable stand-in for the works themselves. Rather, this written support paper offers me the opportunity to provide deeper insight into the physical processes and surrounding contexts that influenced the development of this exhibition. The format of this paper will begin by sharing my artistic philosophy which envelopes my studio practice approach to art-making. I will then introduce the genre of âinstallation artâ and give examples of three prominent artists to use as reference for the works in the exhibition. Once I have established the setting, I will proceed with outlining the artworks and their accompanying research. Each piece will be presented in order of appearance as they are arranged within the space and will follow the logic of a virtual gallery walk-through. I will explore each of the six works that make up this exhibition, beginning with a brief visual description and its initial reading, and then I will proceed to dig deeper into unpacking some of the most essential qualities and contexts that gave rise to their creation and development. I will then conclude by exploring the impact of the installation and viewing experience of the exhibition as a whole. 3 Chapter 1.2: Artistic Philosophy My work focuses on blurring the boundaries between the theatrical stage and the institutional framework of the gallery. For my MFA thesis exhibition and research paper I am investigating how contemporary culture responds to notions of presence and absence of the body in the digital age where illusion, escape and distraction are at the forefront of the collective consciousness. My focus in creating this series of mixed media artworks to exhibit as an installation is to convey my personal response to a sense of cultural disillusionment. As a contemporary artist I want to recognize the perseverance of feminist artists, theorists and activists who have struggled towards balancing the inequalities of gender in western culture. During my MFA research I discovered that many aspects at the heart of my own artistic practice, such as my interdisciplinary approach, my innate focus on touch, textiles and material tactility, are grounded in the history of feminism. In the writings of Feminist philosopher Carolyn Korsmeyer, she notes that, âfeminist research tends to be interdisciplinary. This is deliberate, for many feminist scholars discovered early in their work that their own disciplines not only ignored gender but also lacked adequate disciplinary tools to revise their fields suitably to cope with issues of womenâs experience and gender differences. Few feminists give high priority to discipline purity, and eclectic studies have replaced narrower research methodsâ (ix). As a studio-based artist with an object-orientated art practice, I believe that a work of art can and should speak for itself. I strongly believe that art, in all of its variety and nuances, is in 4 fact a self-standing expression: a multi-lingual, multi-faceted conglomerate of cues and communications. As time passes and thoughts evolve, the work of art is capable of transforming as it is rediscovered and reinterpreted with each and every viewing. I experience my art practice as a complex network of intuitive gestures, reflections, interpretations and responses to both my material and emotional environment. Once the artworks have reached a state of completion, they become open-ended propositions that I offer and share with the viewer. Despite the variety of interpretations that a work might uncover in the imagination of any given viewer, each work remains anchored to its own discrete conception: tethered and reflexive to my intention and my being. 5 Chapter 2: Thesis Research 2.1: Where I Belong The installation of art can take on many approaches: from using an old hammer and a rusty nail to a full team of certified engineers and curatorial staff. Sometimes the installation of the artwork is quite simple where research and complex theories are visually contextualized and displayed with a minimal aesthetic, and other times installation art is extremely intricate and time consuming to build and presents a more interactive and playful quality all in the name of experience. The most wonderful thing about a gallery space is that it is there to fill. The question is: with what? In this chapter I will begin by describing what installation art is according to Installation Art - A Critical History (2005) by British Art Historian Claire Bishop. I will briefly describe the four main aspects of this genre entitled The Dream Scene, Heightened Perception, Mimetic Engulfment, and Activated Spectatorship and their impacts on the viewer. With the use of these themes I will discuss how these specific categories include and portray the artworks of Phyllida Barlow, Barbara Kruger and Claes Oldenburg. I have chosen to highlight these three artists because I relate with certain aspects of their creative processes, practices and outcomes. With this strategic research, I will contextually place the artwork that I have created for my thesis show into the historic realms of contemporary art. Claire Bishop begins by explaining that: âInstallation art is a term that loosely refers to the type of art into which the viewer physically enters, and which is often described as theatrical, 6 immersive or experientialâ (6). It has been an ambiguous term since the 1960s with its diverse approaches and varied aesthetic effects. There is no right way of making or viewing installation art other than recognizing, âthe space, and the ensemble of elements within it, are regarded in their entirety as a singular entityâ (6). Installation art started gaining momentum in Europe from the 1960s through the 1970s/80s and received American artistic approval by institutions such as the Guggenheim NYC in the 1990s. My personal experiences with viewing installation art is one of complete immersion and the transference of realities. While having viewed many different kinds of installations, I found that my understanding of the world in relation to my own experiences would shift and make room in my mind for the artistsâ expressive interpretation of their own. Installation art provides a glimpse into a different realm by stimulating the viewersâ senses. Bishop explains that, âinstead of representing texture, space, light and so on, installation art presents these elements directly for us to experienceâ (11). As the viewer moves around the gallery to see the art, they are, perhaps unknowingly, interacting with the work. In this, the viewer is creating a transitive relationship with the art and is therefore engaged in an activated spectatorship. Although the initial ambiguity of the outcome remains open until the viewersâ physical presence is established, the main focus is ultimately on how the viewer feels about receiving and acknowledging the artwork. By offering the viewer alternative ways of encountering art, the installation artist is purposefully decentering the viewersâ single point perspective by establishing the ability to experience the exhibition from a multitude of different angles. Socio-politically speaking, the dislodging of the hierarchical way of seeing (being the dominant ideology that is masculinist, 7 racist, and conservative) in the twentieth century has been a revolutionary step to a more progressive society (13). The application of decentering the subject/viewer parallels with feminist and post-colonial theories of intersectionality and equal rights movements by including more marginalized and oppressed points of view. The first aspect of installation art that Bishop observes is the Dream Scene. This category of installation art is theatrically staged like a film set, where all the elements in the room have a plot and function (14). The artist is like the director and the viewers are imagined as the participants in the dream. As the dreamer moves in and around the immersive installation they consciously or unconsciously project meaning from personal memories or experiences in order to decode their surroundings through free associations (16). The purpose of installation art is to activate and collaborate with the architecture of the gallery and the spaces in between. The goal is to create an artwork/environment that activates this space and stimulates the viewer. Bishop connects these attributes with the second aspect of installation art with a focus on Heightened Perception. Within this application, installation art pushes the notion of sensory experience and perceptive understanding to enhance the viewers concept of space. Bishop quotes the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Pontyâs The Phenomenology of Perception- 1945, when explaining the situational embodiment first-hand: âI do not see (space) according to its exterior envelope; I live from the inside; I am immersed in it. After all, the world is all around me, not in front of meâ (50). 8 The third aspect of installation art is Mimetic Engulfment which plays off of Heightened Perception. The main objective for this type of artistic approach is complete disillusion, to âdislodge or annihilate the sense of selfâ (82). This affect is to be accomplished by a spatial withdrawal and the passivity of the viewer who is plunged into darkness, saturated in colour, lost in a mirror maze or engulfed in an undulating hypnotizing pattern. There are no boundaries or tangible spaces to coincide with, therefore the viewer is completely assimilated into the artwork (100). Activated Spectatorship can also be very immersive but requires a different kind of public engagement. The concept behind this aspect of installation art is to activate the viewers as participants and encourage interactivity within the gallery space. The goal is not to âexperience art in transcendent or existential isolation, but as part of a collective or communityâ (102). The artist uses the galleryâs social setting to speak about political perspectives implying a democratic voice that is âinclusive and egalitarian in natureâ (118). Bishop references Nicolas Bourriaudâs theory of relational aesthetics where communication becomes the artistic medium between human relationships in the public sphere. With all four categories of installation art briefly summarized, I would like to continue by introducing three installation artists whose practices have inspired me and whose traces can be recognized as a resource within my work. Whether it is their approach to making art, their intended message or their visual aesthetic, Phyllida Barlow, Barbara Kruger and Claes Oldenburg have intrigued me with their belief and dedication to their expressive natures. 9 In an article in Border Crossing Magazine about British artist Phyllida Barlow titled âWomen + Sculpture,â Canadian art critic Robert Enright highlights how Barlow creates large-scale installations by working honestly and methodically through a natural process of creative responses. By assembling individual sculptures alongside one another to form larger installations, she creates a âvisual theater in which the objects perform in the space as much as they occupy itâ (34). Barlow believes that the audience participates in the actualization of the work itself by becoming engaged protagonists in an unfolding narrative. In her adventurous exhibition folly, for the 57th Venice Biennale, she encourages her audiences to explore a new way of encountering sculpture. This kind of Dream Scene installation creates a sense of action and gives character and personality to the abstracted sculptures that Barlow hopes the viewers respond to by way of interactive invitation. Barlow refers to her process as one of staging her sculptures as opposed to installing them and that the performance truly begins when the artwork arrives at its destination where the relationship between the space and the work create a new dialogue which she must then respond to. The Heightened Perception of the scale and the positioning of Barlowâs installations act as spatial interventions and incorporate the viewerâs navigation as part of her exhibitions. With this subtle but significant shift in perspective Barlow leans toward the aspect of Activated Spectatorship as she sets the stage for the oncoming performers: the viewers. By playing with ideas of authority as a woman sculptor, she challenges ideas of control and play by structurally manipulating the space with scale and materiality (39). The question of dominance between object and space, and space as object, shifts the perspective of the 10 inhabitantâs role and expectations. Barlow refers to it as the âtotality of the whole experience rather than with the notion of the single dominant objectâ (43). Figure 2.1.1 Installation view - Phyllida Barlow, folly, British Pavilion, 57th Venice Biennale, 2017. 11 This immersive approach to an exhibition also resonates with the installation art of American conceptual artist Barbara Kruger. In âSeriously Playful,â an opening article written for the 2010 catalogue titled Barbara Kruger, American art critic and historian Hal Foster describes Krugerâs work as being a âprovocativeâ multi-media feminist critique of contemporary society. Using found images and texts in large-scale digital collage installations Kruger intends âto question the seemingly natural appearance of images through the textual commentary which accompanies themâ (18). In doing so, Krugerâs active language installations have the ability to completely consume the viewer as described in the Mimetic Engulfment aspect of Installation Art. The optical illusion created in the gallery space by the all-encompassing bold texts that surround the viewer are designed to be completely overwhelming, as if the words written on the walls are actually shouting at the viewer to get their attention. In the third Barbara Kruger catalogue article, âA Message from Barbara Kruger: Empathy can change the world,â Miwon Kwon, a Korean curator and art historian, writes that âthe experience of decentered subjectivity and the pleasure and displeasure that accompany it become inescapably embodiedâ (90). By utilizing the archetypal aesthetic of propaganda, Krugerâs installations create a push-and-pull relationship between ââ¦domination and submission, between aggressor and victim, (that) produces a space of fantasy for the viewerâ (90). These surreal settings make space for viewers to break down cultural stereotypes by visually dislodging their physical selves from their comfort zones and asking them to question ââ¦what we think we see, read, experience, or believe, but also who we think we are '' (91). 12 Figure 2.1.2 Installation view - Barbara Kruger, 'FOREVER', Sprüth Magers, Berlin 2018. Photo: Timo Ohler Questions pertaining to the reference of the physical and metaphysical self are also reflected in the early works of Claes Oldenburg who is known for his larger-than-life outdoor Pop Art sculptures of giant everyday household items such as: Giant Safety Pin installed at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, California; and Spoonbridge and Cherry located in Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minnesota. I was surprised at how Oldenburgâs relationship to his earlier artwork was described in an essay written by Italian art historian Germano Celant who co-wrote Claes Oldenburg: An Anthology (1995). Celantâs first two sentences read: âThe object feels. This is the great discovery that Claes Oldenburg has introduced to Modern Art'' (12). 13 Oldenburg began his artistic career experimenting with much smaller paintings and sculptures in his Lower Eastside Manhattan studio in NYC during the 1950s and 1960s. He spoke of the intertwining of objects and senses and the suspension of feelings that are situated in the thresholds between life and tactile objects. In Oldenburgâs first recorded installation titled The Store (1961), he created a variety of sculptures made of muslin and plaster that mimicked everyday personal items like clothing and food products. Upon entering The Store the viewer was surrounded by hand-painted sculptures scaled directly from their original counterparts (eg: a pair of shoes or a piece of meat) that were displayed on fabricated furniture, mounted on the painted walls and even hanging from the ceiling. Here, Oldenburg created an âinterior that suggests an unconscious, an intimate, personal elsewhereâ (23). The installation of the familiar yet subversive individual sculptures, the textured painted walls and the compact curated space recalls aspects of the Dream Scene in Bishopâs Installation Art. With this theatrical installation presented as a set it allowed the viewer to participate in an unfolding narrative where Oldenburg hoped âto remind people of practical activity, to suggest the sense and not to escape from the sensesâ (24). As Claes Oldenburgâs career as an artist continued to advance, he participated in a number of happenings that align with Bishopâs Activated Spectatorship and to Bourriaudâs theory of relational aesthetics that uses personal experience as a medium. There he exhibited a series of soft sculptures made of canvas including an oversized ice-cream cone, a hamburger and a slice of cake. Oldenburg said, â[W]hat I want to do is to create an independent object which has existence in a world outside of both the real world as we know it and the world of artâ (12). The influence of using banal consumer products as creative inspiration was a direct reflection of 14 the Pop Art movement that was building in NYC at the time. Claes Oldenburg and his collaborator and wife Coosje van Bruggen maintained the use of this aesthetic approach and took this radical concept to the next level. By highlighting Bishopâs key classifications of Installation Art, and with reference to three eminent historical and contemporary artists practicing within this artistic genre, I have created a framework of information in which I will refer back to as I deconstruct the artworks seen in my thesis show I Must Be Streaming. Figure 2.1.3 Installation view - Claes Oldenburg, The Store (1961), 107 East Second Street, New York, 1961. Photo: Robert R. McElroy 15 Chapter 2.2: The Impact on the Specifics of Site and Time As I began the final curation and installation of my thesis exhibition, the elements of circumstance, âwho, where, what, when, whyâ¦and how?â kept spinning around in my head. The five inescapable wâs never fail to put everything into perspective. In this chapter I will explore the ideas of site-specificity and reflect on the sociopolitical contexts that were most influential in setting the stage for I Must Be Streaming. In a similar approach used by Phyllida Barlow, I feel the need to inhabit the exhibition space in order to fully understand and complete the artwork. Through this process I have realized the term site- specificity relays a layered perspective of artistic intention. In One Place After Another: Site Specific Art and Locational Identity (2002), Miwon Kwon examines the complex history of the term site-specificity and its amalgamation into the realm of contemporary art. Throughout the past 30 years, the concept of âsite has transformed from a physical location - grounded, fixed, actual - to a discursive vector - ungrounded, fluid, virtualâ (29). Kwon, identifies three prominent paradigms relating to site-specific art: Firstly, Phenomenology, which is the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view; secondly, is the Social/Institutional perspective, which highlights the preservation and/or promotion of culture; and thirdly, is the Discursive perspective, which relates to the discourse between subjects/subject matter. These three paradigms outline the exact formula one would need in order to successfully exhibit an art show in a public gallery. These three interconnected fields create a triad of context and interwoven perspectives that influence an artistâs ability to think and communicate with an intended demographic of viewers through the exhibition format. 16 When these three paradigms overlap with the four aspects of Installation Art (The Dream Scene, Heightened Perception, Mimetic Engulfment and Activated Spectatorship) they crystalize into multidimensional acts of art that unify site, place and time within a shared or collective consciousness. The more I meditate on these multifaceted encounters, the more I realize the prismatic reach installation art has on the unique epistemology of the individual viewer. I have found that the term site-specificity has created a large spectrum of pluralistic platforms within which to work. Based on Kwonâs classifications of site-specificity I would align my practice with what she describes as a site-oriented installation artist. Even though I Must Be Streaming has been created for a specific exhibition in a certain time and place, each of the works themselves maintain the dynamic capacity to be reinstalled in a different location at another time without losing their unique artistic energy or integrity. With the ability to separate and relocate the individual artworks from the gallery installation into other spaces, the sculptures embrace a fresh territory where new interactions have the potential to unfold. To be an emerging artist today, one must be versatile. I have trained to become an interdisciplinary artist out of necessity. Not only am I an artist, I am also an entrepreneur. The best way to show my work depends on where itâs going and who will see it. The artwork must be accessible in order for it to be successful. Kwon recognizes that, âcurrent forms of site-oriented art, which readily take up social issues and which routinely engage the collaborative participation of audience groups for the contemplation of production of the work, are seen as a means to strengthen artâs capacity to penetrate the sociopolitical organization of contemporary life with greater impact and meaningâ (30). 17 This statement intrigues me. I am most interested in how sculptural installations can co-opt, disrupt and dismantle exclusive legacies embedded in the timeless aura of traditional sculpture, in favour of active networks of inclusivity and embodied through activated communication. With the pervasive invasion of digital technologies, and the integration of social media platforms into each and every facet of our daily lives and social exchanges, our personal interactions have been drastically affected. Our culture has already begun a mass migration into digital spaces as we desperately scramble to cultivate and assimilate new understandings of genuine connection and meaningful relationships. Like many others, I am experiencing this phenomenon firsthand in the way in which we communicate through these post-human prosthetic devices we so dearly rely on. In her life-altering book, The Wretched of the Screen (2013), German artist and philosopher Hito Steyerl describes the contemporary condition of groundlessness where stability in our physical and philosophical lives has fractured the false mirror of relativity (13). The concept of a physical horizon line has all but vanished and, thus, so too has our belief in linear understanding: subject, time and space/destination (14). When we consider the groundless effects of this free-fall Steyerl has described, as result of the steady migration of social and cultural exchange into the hollows of the digital universe, the unprecedented speed and increase of online activity due to the COVID-19 outbreak is sure to have drastic and long-lasting effects on the collective consciousness. 18 Chapter 2.3: The COVID Influence Itâs amazing what it takes to get peopleâs attention, but a worldwide pandemic seems to have done the trick. Everyoneâs life has changed in ways that we couldnât have imagined. In this chapter I will explain how the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 closures magnified aspects of our daily lives and how these observations helped me find a title for my MFA thesis exhibition. When COVID-19 began to spread across borders and time zones the world held its breath and stopped. Not stopped spinning of course, but the constant buzz of civilization as weâve come to know it went quiet; everybody was waiting and listening. Work was cancelled, school was out, and the borders closed. What do we do now? And so, it began, an open house on the internet for all the news, games and entertainment you could handle. Every aspect of our lives, both conscious and unconscious, seemed to become tangled in the extra sticky, invisible virtual net. It was like a strange dream, or perhaps more like a nightmare, where everyone was perpetually plugged into their virtual fantasy worlds trying to forget about the imminent fall of society that was taking place just outside the front door. During the early phase of the pandemic lockdown, I saw firsthand a huge rise in my familyâs internet use and our general consumption of daily online distractions. Itâs hard to imagine just how massive the increase of online engagement was worldwide at this time. The New York Times published an article called, âThe Virus Changed the Way We Internetâ on April 7, 2020. The study shows that because people were at home, they turned to their computers rather than using their cell phone apps. According to both Similar Web and 19 Apptopia, the use of websites like Facebook.com rose 27%, Netflix.com rose 16% and Youtube.com rose 15.3% (Koeze). I was on my phone and computer so much during quarantine that I actually started dreaming about my devices. The appearance of my personal media devices seeping into my dream world was subtle, but very unsettling for me. As a mother of two teenagers, I have never been a huge advocate for living vicariously through screens and I could never handle the thought of trading in my sand and sunshine for a sea of empty pixels and that haunting blue glow. I am skeptical of the positive attributes and progressive ploys of carrying the unlimited weight of the internet around in my pocket. But alas, there I was, day-streaming the months away, escaping the fear of global collapse. I canât even really grasp how the time has flown by these past months. Travel plans, daily work routines and weekly date nights transformed and flattened into a timeless glow. Social distancing has dissolved our social scenes into a handful of the usual suspects only reachable through social video apps. The increase in online video conferences skyrocketed as we met for work through Zoom (+350%) and hung out with friends through Houseparty (+79.4%) (Koeze). These kinds of new meeting sites gave us outlets for work and play even though we couldnât leave our rooms. Our social bubbles were like exclusive clubs with strict access and slack dress codes where only our immediate family could enter. As our bubbles slowly grew, we got to double bubble with a rise of cloak-and-dagger dinner parties held behind closed doors and shut blinds; very scandalous indeed. We were all floating inside our protective spheres hoping not to break the fragile illusion of safety we had created for our own sanity. 20 The installation of my thesis show was one of the long-planned calendar events that was cut free and set adrift during the flood of setbacks and worldwide rescheduling in the wake of the first wave of COVID-19 shutdowns. The title of my thesis show came to me as I was slowly falling asleep one night during the early stages of the outbreak. Amidst the chaos and upheaval, I struggled to imagine how an exhibition of sculptural installations and physical objects could exist in a public gallery space. Alas, I Must Be Streaming was born and, in the end, despite the devastating experiences of shared uncertainty as our collective future seemed to slide off into the void, I couldnât have planned for a better time to choreograph these works and share them in my home community. 21 Chapter 2.4: I Must Be Streaming It is exciting to be here now, standing at the entrance to the Kelowna Art Gallery. As a young undergraduate student at UBCO I worked at this very gallery as the front desk attendant. I was the one who opened the gallery in the morning and closed the gallery at night. I maintained the technical equipment that supported the ongoing exhibitions and offered enthusiastic insights on guided tours. Today, I will again become a tour guide; however, this time it is for my own exhibition I Must Be Streaming. During this tour we will explore how this immersive installation has transformed the gallery into a gateway that allows the viewer to cross over the threshold and into their imaginations. Welcome to the Kelowna Art Gallery, where two banners promoting the current exhibitions hang in front of the main entrance. The banner on the left side of the doors is a historical illustration of a geisha who is looking over her right shoulder towards the image of the second banner that depicts a distorted picture of a clownâs face. These banners mark the combined gallery experience where tradition and pop culture meet. As the viewer enters the Mardell G. Reynolds Gallery from the main hall, the first thing they encounter is a small slice of wall traced with paint. A deep indigo weaving of painterly strands composes a recognizable, although grossly enlarged, image of a net. The net snares the eye and steers the viewer into the gallery and into a wild explosion of patterns, colours, textures and shapes. From floor to ceiling the electric blue grasp of the net encircles the galleryâs interior. The influence of the pattern creates a Heightened Perception that diffuses the white cube, by pushing and pulling its way across the rectilinear architecture. It creates a warping bubble effect as it colourfully stretches and tears as it reaches around each of the sculptures in 22 the exhibition linking one to the next. The hand-painted linework is a visual representation of how I conceptualize the living web that surrounds and suspends our daily lives. The linework creates a unique bond between each sculpture where the formal qualities of the work and its material representation are connected in relation to the adjoining/immersive pattern. It is as if the realm of image has roped in the world of objects. Figure 2.4.1 Networth mural detail - Entrance to the Reynoldâs Gallery. It was the concept of the social bubble and the lack of horizon line that inspired me to connect the 3D sculptures and the architectural gallery space in I Must Be Streaming. The mural titled Networth is a play on the concept of a network and the value structures that tie our contemporary society together. When asked, âWhat is your net worth?â one must assess their 23 financial, economic, asset-driven outlook on their monetary value. How much am I worth? How much do I count? Itâs a measure of gain, therefore a measure of success in a capitalistic culture. What do I have? turns into what do I not have. What do I want? Where can I get it? Online? The choice to paint Networth, in a deep indigo blue was an intentional reference to the blue glow of our digital age. âBlue light is visible light with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers (nm). It is the bright white-light LEDs, which backlight the displays in smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers, that produce the greatest amount of blue lightâ (Ramsay). The strength of the netâs pure blue hue in combination with LED spotlights push the bright white walls to a cooler blue that blankets and illuminates the installation with its engulfing pattern. Like ripples in the water or moving clouds in the sky, the motion and repetition of the lines of the mural allow a fluidity to the viewing experience. As the blue net travels around the space it tears and rips through a spectrum of colour, echoing outwards with waves of yellow and red. The impact of these swirling primary colours is not unsettling but offers a satisfying balance due to the playful energy of the completed primary triad. I imagine these lyrical distortions and mutations as a voice moving through an otherwise static structure; an attempt to push the limitations of the two-dimensional image to communicate a sense of physicality. My attempt to pull the sensorium of touch into an otherwise flat image, to paint a pattern that could evoke a sense of three-dimensional feeling in the flat spaces in and around the viewer, relates to the overwhelming absence I feel in the vacancy that lies just behind the glassy glow of the screen. 24 In the highly insightful anthology of research essays on human- computer interaction titled, Interdisciplinary Insights for Digital Touch Communication (2020), editor Carrey Jewitt, a Professor of Learning and Technology at UCL Knowledge Lab, focusses on the importance of haptics and the future of digital communication. With an extensive collection of recorded research, he recognizes that: âThe importance of touch in human development has long been recognised (e.g. Fisher et al 1976); however, this sensory feature of human communication is only recently pervading the digital landscape. Digitally mediated touch matters, it is considered within computer science and HCI to have the most potential of the senses for digital communication and it is the sense most rapidly being developed in the intensification of digital sensory communication (Hoggan2013)â (2). I find myself questioning how, or whether it is even possible to connect in any sort of traditional sense of the word. We are using our digital devices to live and work in multiple places at the same time. Our culture is obsessed with space and time travel. We want to be everywhere, with everybody at the same time but somehow, we always feel alone! With this cyber existence pulling us out of our physical reality, we are losing our senses between these situational translations. Without scent, touch, or taste, the internet leaves us wanting for more. 25 Chapter 2.5: Speaking Through Touch As we position ourselves back in the gallery, we become very conscious of our bodies in relation to our surroundings. The artwork here is big and bold. We look for the best place to stand to appreciate the artworks, but we are unsure where to begin due to the wrap around image of the surrounding mural. As guests, we seek permission through admission to access the public gallery where we come to enjoy the art at our own pace. In this chapter I consider why the desensitization between sight and touch affects our comfort zones and how, by creating a touchable and interactive artwork, I have created a more approachable environment for viewers of all ages. The gallery has historically been a place for the public to gather. In an interview for the Tate Modern between German art historian Charlotte Klonk and arts editor Niklas Maak titled, The White Cube and Beyond (2011), Klonk informs us that since the late 1700s art galleries were âused not only to cultivate relations with objects, but also with subjectsâ (Klonk). The gallery/museum has been where culture is on exhibition, where viewers come to physically partake, experience, and learn. I am interested in the interactions and connections made between the artwork and the viewer and how an artist can speak through material in order to achieve an honest and meaningful encounter. If interactivity through installation art in an art gallery setting is as important as the sociability factor as in Bishop's Activated Spectatorship, then it is not only the physical attributes of the artwork that requires attention, but even more so, the dialogue created between them. Referring back to Interdisciplinary Insights for Digital Touch Communication, Jewitt states that: âWhile interest in embodiment is not new, most socially orientated methodological strategies 26 that attend to the body continue to be inadequate for getting at the social aspects of touch as they are primarily based on talk aloneâ (4). With this next particular artwork, I am responding to this observation by exploring the tangibility of sharing tacit knowledge and embodied experience through networks of materiality, where the viewer can physically relate to my work in an emotional way rather than through a filtered expectation. As an interdisciplinary artist I wade between image and materiality, the concrete and the mercurial, by investigating the tactile qualities of sculpture and three-dimensional space in the virtual light of screen culture. By remixing and re-contextualizing the materiality of historical sculpture with the dematerialization and fragmentation of the self in the digital era, my sculptural installations hope to evoke and hold space for new and alternate perspectives of connectivity. As the viewer returns from their preliminary scan of the I Must Be Streaming exhibition space, the first sculptural work ensnared in the painted web is a larger-than-life, super-textured textile piece that reads, i feel u. It measures 6 ft high by 12 ft long and is an empathetic message of appreciation to the viewer. The message is being expressed in textspeak (u versus you) with a font that is clearly reminiscent of an average text message anyone might receive on their phone. The large scale text calls for attention by speaking directly to the viewer as does Barbara Krugerâs engulfing activated language installations. With similarities to Krugerâs bold text based artwork, I am not only asking the viewer to consider this message, I am asking the viewer to physically interact with it. 27 Figure 2.5.1. i feel u - 12â x 6â, Faux fur and wood, I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. I began working through the concept of i feel u during the first year of my MFA when my partner was away working in Northern Quebec for the winter. After years of what seemed like never being more than a few metres apart, our experience of comfort and companionship at a distance was something totally new for us. Like so many other long distance love affairs we went online to keep our connection alive. In chapter 3.2 of Jewittâs book, âHuman â Human Digitally Mediated Touch Communication,â he notes that: âGlobalisation, migration and changes in labour have led to an increased need for communication at a distance, highlighting the changing place of touch in human to human communication. Enhanced portability and connectivity of the digital, has provided extensive changes to remote communication through video links, but more recent technical developments, bring new opportunities for new digitally mediated forms of social touchâ (43). 28 We had never been so far apart for quite so long. We would spend hours on FaceTime, not necessarily saying anything, but we would open up the two-way video channel just so we could be present in the same room at the same time, breathing. By recognizing the increased emphasis we were putting on connecting with one another through our digital devices, I wanted to explore how a simplified message could bridge an unfathomable distance and carry with it so much care and consideration. As I reflected on my experiences of attending innumerable art shows over the years, I recognized that there was often a parallel sense of alienation and distance set between the artist and the viewer. A general omission of the sense of touch was more often than not an arbitrary and invisible barrier reinforced by the art galleryâs golden rule âlook, but donât touch.â As artists, we speak through our materials. We often choose our materials because of the way they feel, their texture and weight, and their flex or rigidity. Whereas, viewers are limited to understanding an artistâs work by only close visual examination. Although the reasoning for limiting viewersâ interactions with handling discreet works of art might seem quite obvious, American Art Critic Brian OâDoherty theorizes that, âover the last 100 years, Western modern art has created a visual discourse that privileges sight over all other bodily senses, refining those engaging with art into neutral viewersâ (Hollenbach 1). In The Deepest Sense (2012), by Canadian cultural historian Constance Classen, she explains that the short-sighted gender-privileged history of Western discourse echoes in a legacy of sensorial inequity where women and men were naturally associated with certain senses over others. Touch, taste and smell were considered to be the more domesticated pairing of the senses being in direct relation to the feminine body and therefore, being assigned as âthe lower sensesâ 29 for women. Men on the other hand, were associated with vision, hearing and rational thought which were considered in high esteem to be the more important senses for communication and ââ¦were associated with the perception of the external, masculine worldâ (75). It was with these frustrations of sensorial hierarchies, objective tactility, and the constant communication through flat screens that I created i feel u. The letters in this piece are constructed with a ¼ inch wood backing and are raised up two inches from the wall by short wooden dowels. The wooden letters are covered with long and lustrous black faux fur thatâs fuzzy like a childrenâs touch and feel popup book. In another supportive book about the importance of touch, author and philosopher Matthew Fulkerson explains in The First Sense (2014) that: âHuman touch is a highly complex sensory modality, involving numerous interacting systems and exploratory capacitiesâ (xi). Fulkerson reminds us that touch is our direct link to the physical world around us and that touch enables us to stay grounded with interpersonal and informational relationships. The significance of touch is magnified as Fulkerson describes that: âWe use touch to comfort and console one another, and touch is also one of our primary conduits of pleasure and pain. Given these many qualities, and its foundational role in human experience, the sense of touch offers rich, fertile ground for philosophical investigationâ (xi). As the black shag letters hover glistening in the lights in front of the patterned wall, the feathery texture comes alive by casting multiple monstrous shadows around each letter. i feel u was created as a touchstone so that the viewer might use it to physically ground themselves in the gallery. Here, the viewer is wanted and appreciated. Here, they are free to feel. 30 Figure 2.5.2 Installation view - i feel u and Heartfelt - I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. 31 Chapter 2.6: Circumstances of the New Social Touching has become a luxury. No more squeezing fruits at the supermarket or high fives with friends. With the number of rules and regulations we now follow to maintain sanitation and safety in public spaces, itâs a miracle that we even find the enthusiasm to go outside at all. In this chapter I want to go deeper than the skin, I want to talk about connection. I want to talk about vulnerability and what it means to wear your heart on your sleeve in relation to art, people and practice. To open up this dialogue and explore how a gallery exhibition format might facilitate the current culture of exchange, I will would like to reflect on the theories of French curator and art critic Nicolas Bourriaud. Bourriaud begins his book, Relational Aesthetics (2002), by recognizing that in the late 1990s and early 2000s political perspectives and social networks were rapidly evolving in response to quantum leaps in the development of digital technologies and information sharing. Bourriaud noted a responsive shift in artistsâ practices to disrupt conventional works of art and capitalist commerce in favour of ephemeral and dynamic social exchanges. Bourriaudâs concepts outlined the primary function and scope of art as the creation of social circumstances and the formation or activation of arenas of exchange. Looking at art in a public space is an example of sharing in a common experience where the free space stimulates an interhuman commerce and connection (16). For Bourriaud, an exhibition became an important ingredient in a larger recipe of support structures that could come together to facilitate an action or a happening. What interests me most with these observations is the focus on artâs capacity to catalyze a social component. A subtle shift in focus that transforms conventional art 32 environments and discrete art objects into powerful platforms and active agents for dynamic social exchange. The central most important point of my art practice is personal expression, and for me, the most important factor in viewing art is imagining new perspectives and stimulating personal growth. The overall intention of this art exchange is to create an active dialogue where communication becomes a medium. Whether this dialogue is an internalized, introverted conversation with oneâs own self or whether it is an extroverted dialogue that is shared openly with others, these engaged communicative activities help digest and organize our thoughts, integrate and develop new understandings and position ourselves amongst new conceptual territories (23). Methods of sharing and connecting with one another in the art gallery has been drastically affected by capacity limitations and travel restrictions. Right now, the Reynolds Gallery only has a capacity for two people at a time, but because of this the viewer can experience the scale and the immersive textural qualities of the installation privately, even intimately. This solitary energetic experience feels so heightened and exciting that it encourages the viewer to share with friends. This need for social connection ignites an action for external human relations and exchanges that can be affectively achieved through social media. Artistic communities are simultaneously expanded and compressed through the growing challenges of exponential growth and the impact of the digital revolution. With art and technology exploding into new and uncharted territories over the last 100 years, viewers can often find themselves overwhelmed with the many disciplines and aesthetic stimuli they encounter at an art gallery. In the 2013 book, Painting Beyond Itself: The Medium in 33 the Post-medium Condition, based on a conference held at Harvard University, editors Isabelle Graw and Ewa Lager-Burcharth curated a collection of essays to discuss the institution of painting as a medium and its relevancy to contemporary art. Included is art historian David Joselitâs essay, âMarking, Scoring, and Speculating (on Time),â where he explores the contemporary phenomenon of mass archiving that takes place on a daily basis by the hordes of museum and gallery goers worldwide (13). For Joselit the instant capture, collection and storage of digital images has become a strategy, and an inadequate coping mechanism for contemporary audiences that are faced with the impossible task of absorbing the vast wealth of visual information at a large gallery exhibition (14). We know that these fleeting experiences are precious, and we are racked with panic at the thought we might possibly miss a single angle or detail. So, as we click and capture, stack and store, we move through the galleries and the pictures just keep piling up. We leave the museum feeling that we have surely captured it all so we can share with our friends and family when we get back home. Some say that a picture says a thousand words. With the age of the image explosion echoing in our dreams I canât help but wonder what language are we speaking? With social media platforms at our fingertips we are able to share anything, anytime, anywhere. Sharing is a form of socializing and all artwork is a âproposal to live in a shared worldâ (Bourriaud 22). With this frantic form of social market, entrepreneurial minds have turned their attention to peddling their collective curationisms via the world wide web. We are desperate for acknowledgement; we are longing for connection and we are searching for meaning as we run the gauntlet in this cyber arena of exchange. 34 Who is watching? Who is listening? Who is playing? The internet is like a masquerade ball with false identities and fake news bursting at the seams. Nothing is as it seems, not even the truth. Veiled in filters and wrapped in aesthetic, our reality is packaged for us by algorithms and program designers. With a hyper-curated culture of likes and shares we sculpt a niche within the machine. Jewitt considers the effects of how âonline communication increasingly supports an âalways onâ culture of ubiquitous connectivityâ (9). If we are indeed so truly interested in an interconnected society that values the sharing of each and every precious moment of each and every day, why are we so closed off IRL? Why are we so afraid? Despite the colourful array of pixels and unending story loops hanging from our profiles like strings of garlic to ward off the digital undead, we are still vulnerable. Why do we need cyber armour to protect us against haters? Stats Canada reports that nearly one in five internet users experience forms of online victimization and harassment; I am one of those five. I have experienced cyberbullying firsthand and the closeness at which it strikes is as disorienting as it is alienating. Itâs like waking up from a dream into a nightmare. I was surprised, I was exposed, and it feels really real. I was motivated to create the next artwork in this exhibition in response to an overwhelming feeling of vulnerability and disappointment that swallowed me, heart and soul, following a cyberbully attack. Heartfelt is a giant, hand-felted, blood-red heart that measures five fuzzy feet in both directions. Heartfelt was created to inspire a reaction, a genuine gesture of love and surrender from the viewer. I modeled and scaled this soft sculpture after the notorious Instagram heart. As an image, the heart represents love and care, but most importantly today this 35 image represents the way in which our contemporary culture shares its affection. But rather than a tiny collection of flattened pixels in the bottom corner of a glassy screen, I wanted something huge, tangible and triumphant. Figure 2.6.1 Heartfelt- 5â x 5â Wool, felt, polyester stuffing, gold chain, I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. 36 I am interested in exploring the potentials and limitations of communicating with others. In chapter 5.2 of Jewittâs study âConnecting at a Distance: Questions of Presence,â research reflects that, âthe notion of connecting with others across distance (in its multiple connotations) opens up wider considerations of mediated, synchronous or imagined presence. That is, the ability to connect with someone or something is understood to work on an emotional-intellectual level and does not need to be physical or even reciprocalâ (Jewitt 75). This statement reminds me of how Claes Oldenburg spoke of his earliest sculptural artworks in his installation The Store (1961). I believe that in the creation of art, artists are processing the psychological weight of our daily surroundings. One wouldnât necessarily imagine the necessity to do so on a regular basis, but with the onslaught of the amount of informative matter we encounter every day, for artists itâs possibly the only way to physically understand it and form a relationship with it. Heartfelt hangs heavily from a long, thick gold chain that penetrates the ceiling from 10 feet above. Open and exposed, it hangs vulnerable to the touch. The surface swirls in vibrant textures of natural fibers drenched in reds, oranges and burgundies that pulse with a visceral vibration that bridges the gap between the flat screen heart icon to the organic organ that keeps us all alive. When I remember the amount of thought and energy I put into the creation of Heartfelt, I can still feel the residual sadness. Jewitt elaborates on the idea of âConnecting Through Touchâ in chapter 5.3 by recognizing that: âTouch has a special role in relation to human connectedness, and increasingly so as a mediated social-sensorial experience. It has been seen as the âpoint of connectionâ itself that helps us to âknow both the self and the otherâ, and to differentiate between the two. âIn differentiating the other from ourselves, we are able also to connect knowingly with 37 that other.â From this perspective, connection is âengagementâ, or a form of âbeing withâ, that can be physical (through contact), emotional (feeling, empathizing), or intellectual (in terms of understanding or knowing)â (76). Unlike its glassy Instagram counterpart, the mammoth mass of this felted heart bleeds with every touch. Every physical interaction leaves a trace. I embedded myself in the long hours of process and craft with every punch and press of the felting tool. I worked my way slowly and methodically through the residuals of trauma and angst. And now with each inquisitive caress of its surface the viewer unknowingly works to undo the labour of my creation. Eighteenth-century German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder âconsidered sculpture to be the highest form of art precisely because it was perceptible to the sense of touch, a sense he thought afforded a more profound appreciation of beauty than sight. From this perspective, preventing people from touching sculptures effectively denied them access to art at its highest levelâ (Classen 132). Like every fleshy face behind an online profileâs timeless mask Heartfelt is temporal, organic and real. Heartfelt was manifested out of sadness and disappointment, but through process and handmade engagement, it has emerged as a beacon of joy and adoration. It hangs proudly and freely within the weblike surroundings of Networth. The mural connects i feel u and Heartfelt together in a playful dance of colour and hidden drawings. A childlike depiction of the illustrated energy we attempt to transmit through our screens. Heartfelt has found strength amidst its tether, and holds space for admiration, contemplation and authentication. 38 Figure 2.6.2 Installation view - Heartfelt and Virtually Empty - I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. 39 Chapter 2.7: The Digital Experience One of the most interesting challenges for artists of my generation is to concisely account for the profound and innumerable effects of the ever-pervasive rising tide of the digital era. It is an invasive sea of information, communication and distraction. It is a boiling turmoil of fake news, meta-data and speculation. As I research the field of contemporary sculpture and the transitional spaces between digital media and concrete materiality, I focus on creating a visual language where lived experiences and theatrical metaphors intersect within the exhibition space. In this chapter I will outline the context, the creation and the outcome of Virtually Empty, an artwork that represents the interplay between designing a digital artwork and creating a physical sculpture. In the timely and insightful book The Virtual Window (2009), by historian and theorist of modern media culture Anne Friedberg, she begins by clarifying the term virtual in that it: âserves to distinguish between any representation or appearance (whether optically, technologically, or artisanally produced) that appears âfunctionally or effectively, but not formallyâ of the same materiality as what it representsâ (11). As a PhD in cinematic studies, Friedberg considers âframingâ and its perspective associations by deconstructing ideas between illusion and reality. Virtually Empty is a tactile material metaphor for the digital experience. This piece creates a surreal space that carries the viewer back and forth across the object/image divide. A tenuous standoff between the real and the virtual, the tactile and the imaginary. Nestled into the far corner of the gallery the viewer is met directly with the gaze of a happy clown, a large window and an ironing board. It is an unusual collection of conceptual objects on display. These 40 three activated objects create what Bishop would refer to as a Dream Scene in Installation Art, by expressing both a tactile material presence as well as resonant referent signifiers. Figure 2.7.1 Virtually Empty - Window panel - 10â x 4âAluminum, 3M reflective vinyl, LED lights, Clown Tapestry 14âx 4â - Polyester sublimation print, White ironing board, I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. 41 Lying on the floor is a 14 ft long by 5 ft wide digital tapestry that is saturated with rich colours and exquisite digital textures. It is noticeably smooth, and drapes softly and elegantly onto the floor. It is made with a synthetic textile blend of polyester and spandex which is a common fabric used in costume designs for circus performers and contemporary dancers. This digital tapestry depicts a high-definition image, a close-up copy of a needlepoint clown that was captured on a flatbed scanner. The flatbed scanner is capable of recognizing every fibre of the acrylic wool in every stitch from the original source. The photographically perfect copy of the original is, however, manually disrupted during the scanning process. This disruption results in a prismatic-coloured glitch that exposes the mechanical nature of the digital process. The combination of the highly saturated fine details and textile close ups of the photographic original are punctuated with bands of psychedelic rainbows and repeated echoes of the glitch. The image of the disturbed pixelated clown seems to be in mid-process of disappearing and/or reappearing as it drapes over the plain white ironing board. Underneath the psychedelic flows and colourful folds of fabric stands a plain white ironing board. The ironing board is exhibited upright, fully extended, presenting the digitally distorted portrait of the needlepoint clown, whilst keeping its intended use value intact. The fabric is draped over the ironing board precisely at the centerfold so that equal lengths of printed image are presented on either side. The midway point of the digital tapestry, which runs up the middle of the board, is denoted by a crisply defined line where the printed image mirrors itself to the left and right. This visual effect in the print creates a pattern akin to the mirrored patterning of an animal hide or snakeskin and highlights the ironing boards iconic contour. When approached by the viewer, the familiar form and function of the traditionally gendered domestic object is readily apparent. On the tapered end of the ironing boardâs surface, a small section of 42 the fabric is folded back, exposing roughly eight inches of a glossy white steel mesh grid. The structural reveal highlights that the object is clearly mass-produced, and store bought. On the wall above and beside the draped tapestry hangs a large image of an arch-topped window. The window is in fact an oversized die cut aluminum panel laminated with 3M light reflective film. The film is designed for the use of nighttime traffic headlights to reflect and illuminate road signs. The 3M vinyl has been printed with an all-over checkerboard pattern in transparent light grey ink which refers to the transparency grid of an emptied Photoshop layer. The light-grey pattern is broken up by a non-printed, negative outline of the arched windowpane. The printed image along with the panelâs outer edge create a clear image/sign of a traditional arch-topped window in forced perspective. The panel is hung on a French cleat so that it is suspended from the gallery wall while the backlit LED lighting slowly shifts between colours reminiscent of a fluctuating screen saver. The trompe lâoeil of the floating window in false perspective simultaneously asserts and negates the real architecture of the gallery setting in favour of the imaginary architecture of the virtual. The interplay of these three components create a theatrical mise-en-scène within the gallery. As the viewer crosses the gallery floor from the main entrance, they gain proximity to the installation where their attention bounces back and forth between the recognition of the images and the details of the material presence. The scale and positioning of these image-objects create a three-dimensional frame for the viewer to inhabit. As with artist Phyllida Barlowâs immersive exhibition folly (aforementioned in the chapter Where I Belong), I am also encouraging the viewer to become part of the installation art. By presenting oneself in front of the artwork, one may find themselves imagining what this set might be suggesting. 43 Within the open stage of the work, the image of an empty window implies the notion of a self-contained virtual space within the framing architecture of the gallery. It is as if the view through this extravagant window has been completely deleted and has been left empty. As image editing has become a common language in the digital era, many viewers will readily associate the grey and white reflective grid of the windowâs view as a clear sign pointing back to the creative editing process. This opaque vista speaks directly to the mercurial and ever-shifting nature of images in relation to contemporary screen culture and refers ultimately to the malleable and unstable view of a post-digital world. The forced perspective and skewed formatting of a viewless window where the sky has become an emptied layer creates a dream-like instability reflecting our concerns for an imaginary future. As the ironing board aids the viewer to establish themselves with the formality of a domestic interior, the draped image of the needlepoint clown is in the process of being prepared. The clown is known to play the fool, a garish character that performs physical comedy by reflecting a satirical cultural frivolity. Here the pixelated and distorted portrait of the archetypal character has been grossly enlarged to magnify the by-product of a commercially kitsch and gendered pastime. Needlepoint is a material-centric process of proto-digital image creation. It is a meditative textile practice which embeds memory and meaning through tactility and touch. In the sixth chapter of Classenâs book The Deepest Sense tilted âTactile Arts - Crafty Ladies,â she explains: âThe reliance on assemblage, repetition, and texture common in ladiesâ work (features that, from the perspective of modern aesthetics, made such work more decorative than artistic) had the result of creating works with a particularly tactile sensibility. Either actually 44 or imaginatively, such craftwork invited the intimate, piece-by-piece exploration of an appreciative handâ (134). By digitizing the product of this traditional womanâs craft and presenting its image on synthetic fabric in an expanded digital format, touch and tactility are once again in flux through the filtration of the complex workings of the machine. The presence of a stable real-world object within the mise-en-scène helps ground the viewerâs subject position as participant. The ironing board acts as a central anchor for both the visual presentation of digital tapestry as well as establishes a sense of scale that underpins the tacit engagement of the viewer within the gallery. The ironing boardâs physical form and function are compounded with the sociopolitical context as a placeholder for gendered soft labour that creates not only a dynamic spatial tension and structural movement within the physical installation, but it is also capable of establishing a narrative link between the printed surfaces of the digitally distorted tapestry and the skewed architecture of the emptied window frame. It is a real world stand-in for the absence of the author and places the viewer at the heart of the experience. As the viewer continues past Virtually Empty, they are led by way of warps and waves towards Foolâs Gold. Here, the patterning of the Networth mural is being painfully stretched to its limits as it strains to reach and bridge the space between the contrasting sculptural surface tensions from the smooth aluminum and silky fabrics, to jagged cut boards, quick angles, and rough textures. 45 Chapter 2.8: Desire Lines It is important for me to consider my own position while practicing a responsive visual language through making art. New perspectives manifest thoughts, and thoughts manifest new materials. With our contemporary culture becoming more and more dependent on digital technology, we are becoming increasingly detached from the physical world by âtransforming spaces into sites and reality into realtyâ (Steyerl 16). In this chapter I research how the history of industrial commercialisation has effectively transformed relationships between nature, consumer productivity, and the female body. In Ecofeminism: Women, Animals, Nature (1993), eco-feminist author Linda Vance relays a parallel perspective on how culture views the similarities between females and nature. Our HIStory has been dominated by the masculine perspective as its central point of reference. Therefore, civilisation as we know it has been manhandled and manipulated to suit a specific set of beliefs. HERstory has relatively gone untold and undocumented. In the past, those not visible to the King went unnoticed, therefore did not exist in the real (123). Women and people of colour have been invisible by design, rendered inconsequential, therefore unreal. Only those who were real were able to decide and declare what reality was for all (124). Vance furthers her argument by highlighting the connection between the aims of capitalism in relation to the role of its consumers. âEnvironmentalists decry that the industrial revolution of the past 300 years has corresponded with a devaluation and objectification of nature, a reduction of natureâs role to be controlled by humansâ (124). To detach humanity from nature was deemed essential in order to manufacture its abundant resources into profits. In other words, to use its beauty and assets for monetary gains. The oppression of women and nature are 46 intertwined as the effects of domination that âformulate interactions between ecology of place, human production and reproduction and human consciousnessâ (126). The topic of inequality between genders and races is an enduring struggle between the colonial oppressor and the marginalized oppressed. My interest in trying to understand why the world is in such crisis from a feministâs perspective has led me to discover the increasing divide between humans and nature. This divide is on point with the evolution of technology, global consumption and commercial conquest. Sometimes the truth hurts. It was with this frustration that I imagined the next piece for my thesis show, Foolâs Gold. Foolâs Gold hangs 15 ft overhead as it holds the adjacent corner of the gallery as a monumental symbol of power. I have chosen to depict the idea of Power with a giant icon of a lightning bolt. The symbol of the lightning bolt is instantly recognizable as the icon for a natural resource and the basic life blood of a digital society. Yes, in this instance the lightning strike is rendered somewhat static due to its completely fenced-in status, like itâs been captured by the dream of domesticity. Surrounding each zigzag of the bolt is a perfectly painted white picket fence protruding from the wall. Its prescribed aesthetic is of piercing perfection. The white picket fence is indeed the ultimate symbol of claimed territory in a prosperous and pleasant suburban neighbourhood. The seamless transition between the protruding white stakes and the surrounding white surface of the wall creates a natural extension out towards the viewer. The fence seems activated by this shift in direction and errs on the side of aggression with all points facing out. Fierce and jagged teeth poised to snap shut in an instant. No trespassing. 47 Figure 2.8.1 Foolâs Gold â 15â x 4â x 1â Wood, AstroTurf, white paint â I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. Foolâs Gold is a commentary on how humans are desperate for the need to control nature. Because natural disasters and diseases can devastate the land and populations of people without warning, huge investments towards safety and stability are a driving force to every countryâs 48 industrial economy. It costs millions to maintain this perceived power as we build immense dams in the rivers, massive power stations in the deserts, expansive highways to aid the increase of commuter traffic, and bridges to span the gaps between the mountains and growing city limits. We dig seemingly bottomless holes to mine the earth for its bounty and cut down trees to make way for agriculture and livestock. But when does it stop? Again, and again we fight for better solutions, but we are sold counterfeit beliefs and disposable solutions. Foolâs Gold is built with a ½ inch plywood base and is upholstered with the most natural looking version of synthetic grass that is readily available at your local hardware store. Astro Turf, originally named âChemGrassâ (Jones), was originally invented for professional game play and sports terrain. The idea behind the invention of this synthetic grass was that it would require less maintenance and last longer than real grass turf. Since its invention in 1964, we have seen many iterations of its evolving aesthetic and uses. By the early 2000s we have encountered an assortment of varieties including more natural looking renditions with attention to adding extra textures and varying lengths to the blades of grass. âThe grass is always greener on the other side,â people say. Itâs about feeling unsatisfied with oneâs lot and coveting someone elseâs successes. Foolâs Gold was inspired by the disenfranchisement I felt after I viewed Michael Mooreâs latest documentary called Planet of the Humans (2019). Bound and chained to our screens as we were, during the long months of closures and limited social events, I yearned for something real and juicy. I was already well aware of the widespread and destructive reach of climate change, but this film added another nail to the coffin. As climate change and global warming continue to affect all life on Planet Earth, 49 individuals lost to their screens feel more and more helpless against the relentless surge of industry and big business as the machines surge onward. Earth is being destroyed every day and we feel helpless to save it. Even though most people are trying to be more environmentally conscious towards consuming, we are falling short. Vanceâs words ring true when she wrote: âAcross the land bears the scars of human activity and consciousnessâ (127). The evidence of our human desire for comfort spreads far and wide, high and low. As we receive devastating reports on the amounts of fossil fuels required to create and sustain cleaner energy systems our belief in the Green Energy movement is starting to wane. Perhaps we are being misled by false promises and impossible dreams? Itâs hard to know who to believe or who to trust. We are left to question if anything we are personally doing is making any difference at all. Is greener thinking just another consumer stream to attract new buyers and create stimulus for new products? As we keep buying into the concept of comforts that we think we deserve, we learn to exist in a brave new world of online everything. We continue to upgrade, embellish and enhance our surroundings as we seek out instant gratification and accessibility to any and all products of desire. 50 Figure 2.8.2 Installation view - Foolâs Gold and Saturated - I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. 51 Chapter 2.9: The Quality of Consumption We had it pretty good, maybe too good. Pre-COVID life was bumping! We pushed our limits every day to keep up with the Joneses. We worked hard for potential clients, we strategized against the competition, we even networked when we were supposed to be having fun with friends. Every aspect of our lives was geared toward the social practice of progress. Now, with hindsight being 2020, in this last chapter I contemplate the impact of chance and the temporality of luxury. In late February of 2020, I joined fifteen fellow UBC Fine Art students for the annual reading break trip. An annual pilgrimage for diehard art enthusiasts looking to escape the cozy doldrums of small town life for the great, sleepless roar and thunderous pulse of New York City. Little did we all know at the time, this trip was the last taste of free and easy access to the Big Apple. In the short weeks following our arrival in New York, the city was to become the epicenter of the pandemic and ground zero for one of the worldâs most catastrophic COVID outbreaks. On the first day of the trip, oblivious to the imminent crash and tremendous chaos that would soon follow, we found ourselves lost amongst the towering glamour and shimmering glass galleries of the Fifth Avenue fashion houses. We left the hotel, with only a short walk between us and the Metropolitan Museum where we would meet with our fellow students, intent to peruse the halls of history. But like a lost child at the local strip mall, I was seduced from the safety of the street, up into the labyrinthine web of the worldâs most premier luxury shopping experience. Versace, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, and Vivienne Westwoodâs flagship stores received us with red carpets unrolled and security men at the door. There were cabinets of gold watches, 52 earrings and necklaces that dripped with diamonds, piles of furs and silks cascading out in every direction between the shoe galleries and the apartment-sized fitting rooms. I was in Heaven. I was so thirsty to experience the glitz and glamour of all the giant fashion houses lined up on the urban architectural runway that I never made it to the Metropolitan Museum that day. I was starved to finally touch and feel the collections and garments that I had only seen on the screen. Now, what was once miniaturized and flattened into pixels, had unfolded into magical palaces of wonder. A place where I could run up and freely inspect a seam, stitch or gather, where I could just reach out and feel the weight of a sleeve or the drape of an oversized collar. All IRL. Despite an endless array of glitter and gold that cried out for my attention that afternoon, I ended up finding true inspiration presenting itself in the most unlikely of places: the bathroom. Perhaps it was the sheer intoxication that illuminated my inspiration, a by-product of overindulgence, an overdose of the exquisite or simply too much attention to too much detail. Whatever the cause, there it was, as I pushed open the heavy black mirrored door to enter the impeccably tiled privy, I saw it there: an extra soft, extra pillowy roll of toilet paper. How odd, I thought, to leave a perfectly good roll of toilet paper on the ground like this. So, I pulled out my iPhone and snapped a quick pic. In fact, I took several, because thatâs what we do to capture a moment of true magnificence, we take as many pictures as we can. We shoot until someone else enters the bathroom and finds us hunched over awkwardly trying to get that perfect angle, the one that captures all of the unseen glamour of a discarded toilet paper roll. 53 Seven days later, I and the fifteen other students from the Visual Arts Course Union made it home to Kelowna safe and sound to resume our studies. We were full of experiences and ready to get back to work and thenâ¦. everything closed down. And I mean everything. Like the whole world stopped. And the fear crept in. What is going on? Are we all carrying COVID right now? What do we do? STAY HOME. Panic ensuedâ¦ No sooner did we count down the last anxious days of our quarantine, we were struck with another strange surprise. While the world collapsed inward on itself under the weight of a deadly respiratory virus, we realized that the most important and sought after item in civilisation â¦ was toilet paper. (Holy shit!) A shortage of toilet paper for the global market. What a raw deal. According to Stats Canada, âbathroom tissue receipts reached a peak increase of 241% relative to the 2019 average in the week ending March 14th despite reassurances â¦ that the supply is plentifulâ (Silcoff). Newscasts, blog posts and story feeds were filled with parking lot mayhem. It was like the wild west was born again, with gun-toting hoarders and lightening quick snake oil salesmen who clamoured out from the woodwork to cash in and stake claim on the new international toilet paper black market. It was like nothing I had ever seen or ever imagined. Value structures changed in an instant. Because of the virus, âTPâ went viral. Overnight it became a ubiquitous symbol of the capricious nature of global economics. Images and memes flooded the internet for weeks with secret piles of toilet paper stocks that were paraded as symbols of wealth and power. I Must Be Streaming. Saturated is the last, but not the least, sculpture in my thesis exhibition. In the gallery, the viewer is confronted by the instantly recognizable shape of a roll of toilet paper even though 54 the dimensions have been dramatically scaled up from the original size. The diameter of this mammoth roll is roughly 4 ft high by 4 ft across. The quilt itself is 59 ft long and makes four full rolls around the outside of the wood frame. The inner frame is made of two wood and cardboard spools that slide onto the inner 4 ft long Sonotube. On the outside façade of both spools, I glued 4-inch strips of polyester batting to the white painted surface of the plywood. I started at the center of the roll and spiraled out around the inner tube to create a solid wall of cushion. In doing so, the illusion of a full roll of toilet paper was created. Figure 2.9.1 Saturated - 4â x 4â x 7â Wood, polyester batting, polyester sublimation print, cardboard tube, red carpet I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. The roll lays on its side as if it has been dropped and has rolled back towards the gallery wall exposing roughly 8 ft of patterned fabric draped luxuriously onto a red carpet. The exterior 55 edges of the fashion fabric have been left raw to expose the 2-inch polyester batting sandwiched between the two layers of high sheen poly-satin fabric. Partitions encircle the edge of the red carpet to protect the artwork from the public and to aid in augmenting its exclusive status. The custom pattern on the fabric is made of symbols that were originally hand-painted on watercolour paper in order to capture the texture of the paint and the water staining on the paper. The symbols were painted on a much smaller scale than what you see on the final print so the detail of the brushstroke would be visible to the viewer once enlarged. Often, on household paper towels we see a paisley or flower print, or maybe a repetitive icon of a logo or brand name. For Saturated I wanted to focus the viewersâ attention on the icons of invasive industries that are harming the Earth and devastating the environment. The chosen icons that create the rhythmic and repeating pattern imitate luxury branding and symbolize the image of wealth and/or social status. The all-over print that envelopes the roll is based on the high society branding of Louis Vuitton where the classic LV monograph has been removed and substituted in with shells and diamonds. The icon of the shell may first be read as a romantic reference to Botticelliâs Birth of Venus (1480s), a long-standing symbol for the awakening and acknowledgement of feminine beauty, but in this circumstance, I am using the shell to represent Shell Transport and Trading Company. The Shell logo has been used by the company since 1833 when shells were a collectible commodity for trade in London. It wasnât until 1897 that the company discovered the black gold under the Caspian Sea which started one of the worldâs biggest oil and gas companies in the world (Shell Global). The Royal Dutch and Shell Petroleum Company, among other fossil- 56 fuel-based industries, are largely responsible for arguably one of the most devastating forms of pollution on the planet. The diamond may first be approached as an unshakable symbol of monetary value. It is a seductive symbol of wealth, privilege and matrimonial commitment. However, unlike all other precious stones, the worth of a diamond is not grounded in the stonesâ rarity. A diamondâs value is in fact the somewhat sinister by-product of a rather notorious campaign of manufactured myths and persuasive marketing by the De Beers diamond mine monopoly (Goldschein). Thus, the diamond is also presented as an icon of colonial resource exploitation and a symbol of capitalist value systems engineered to cater and profit the powerful. The diamond icon represents the mining industry that relies on extraction, notably in countries that have been colonized and cultures that have been either destroyed or enslaved throughout this process (Gómez-Barris 4). Saturated is a hand-quilted textile sculpture that uncovers a sense of human desperation designed to lure you into recognizing the relevance and the investment of handmade processes in relation to the commercialization of industrial products. Its scale has purposefully been exaggerated to promote the absurdity and gravity of our capitalistic culture where hierarchical values and social narratives are embedded in culturally codified objects. The title sums up my attitude on the drastic social, economic, political, and ecological crisis we are all currently facing. Presently, there are millions of opinions being shared concerning our economic stability during the COVID pandemic and the ongoing global warming crisis. We feel like the future is in our hands now more than ever. People want change. We want to hear positive outcomes rather than dire circumstances. When looking towards the future, Linda Vance emphasises simplicity not complexity. âSimple solutions are nothing to shun, they 57 are immediate and manageable, give a sense of accomplishment, and encourage personal responsivity as the core of political actionâ (138). My hope is that this artwork will act as a visual stimulus for progressive thought and to encourage conversations that need to happen around topics of over-production and consumption in our daily lives. Figure 2.9.2 Installation view - I Must Be Streaming, Kelowna Art Gallery, 2020. 58 Chapter 3: Conclusion As I finish the tour of I Must Be Streaming, I find myself standing in the middle of the gallery looking, perhaps even spinning around, while considering the larger meaning behind it all. The main directive for my MFA show and thesis research paper was to investigate how contemporary culture responds to notions of presence and absence of the body in the digital age where illusion, escape and distraction are at the forefront of the collective consciousness. In conclusion, as I consider all of the elements of inspiration, the material choices and the academic research that has fuelled the outcome for this site-oriented installation, it is important to recognize that each piece represents an experiential critique on an embodied engagement with a cultural concern. These concerns are depicted using visual metaphors constructed with specific materials and iconic forms to aid in the communication of this visual language. The research that accompanies I Must Be Streaming includes a variety of topics integral to the exploration of an interdisciplinary approach to inhabiting the gallery space and completing the visual aspects of the MFA degree. My research begins with the importance of embodiment and being present in my thoughts and my body by focussing on listening, and responding physically through art. By being present in my studies and my studio practice, I have allowed myself to be led by my intuition and I have learned to trust my inner voice based on personal, professional and academic experiences. 59 As I progressed with my academic research, I realized that my work touched on many different topics that I wanted to acknowledge in order to unveil a deeper more expanded context to my work. I used Claire Bishopâs Installation Art to solidify my thesis exhibition within the genre of installation art and to breakdown the specific aspects of this term. With this foundational understanding, I discovered that the three paradigms of site-specificity outlined by Miwon Kwon proved to emphasize artwork by augmenting its dimensionality through exhibition, and by connecting my thesis show with the role of the public gallery, my artwork has been enhanced by gaining access to the public stage. After installing the mural and the subsequent sculptures, I understand that spatial manipulation and a shift in scale can stimulate the viewersâ experience in relation to their mind and body. With the extensive research found in Interdisciplinary Insights for Digital Touch Communication as well as The Deepest Sense: A Cultural History of Touch, the significance of tactile materiality and the ability to touch has uncovered that these essential topics and practices have the potential to help people stay connected to living in a physical reality while existing in a digital realm. Between our socially mediated experiences and the isolating effects of the COVID pandemic, I believe that Bourriaudâs Relational Aesthetics offers key insights into how we can reinvigorate and re-engage with the gallery viewerâs needs for gathering information and digesting experience. By presenting an art exhibition that completely envelopes its audience in an immersive environment, I hope to stimulate and provoke the viewerâs interest where they might become momentarily dislodged from the complacency of diluted expectations. From surrendering to the 60 senses and following the patterned wall into the new realm of Networth, to stealing a secret touch from i feel u, to sensing some compassion for Heartfelt, to becoming aware of a physical presence in Virtually Empty, to reacting in amazement to Foolâs Gold, to coveting exaggerated comforts in Saturatedââ it is my hope that the viewer finds themselves suspended in wonderment for a timeless moment, to recognize themselves and their own potentials, as they consider new perspectives within their own imaginations. I Must Be Streaming was my first solo art show. Over the past two years working towards my MFA degree I learned a lot about the visualisation, manifestation and the realization of my artwork. Because I use my creative intuition to express myself through art, I have noticed that all the work is based on challenging experiences and uncomfortable topics. The beauty about this new understanding is that by allowing myself to acknowledge and pursue these personal barriers, I was able to rewrite thoughts of despair and disillusionment into these tactile symbols of perseverance and optimism. I couldnât have imagined a more satisfying service to offer my community, my peers, my colleagues and my family during these difficult and turbulent times. 61 Works Cited Bishop, Claire. Installation Art: A Critical History. Tate Publishing, 2005. Bourriaud, Nicolas. Relational Aesthetics. Les presses de reel, 2002. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. âClaes Oldenburg.â Encyclopedia Britannica, Jan. 24, 2021. www.britannica.com/biography/Claes-Oldenburg. Accessed March 24, 2021. Celant, Germano. Claes Oldenburg: An Anthology. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. New York,1995. https://archive.org/details/claesold00olde/page/n11/mode/2up. Accessed March 23, 2021. Classen, Constance. The Deepest Sense: A Cultural History of Touch. University of Illinois Press, 2012. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/book/21555 Accessed September 23, 2021. Enright, Robert. âAll Sorts of Things That Are Bigger Than Myself, The Sculptural World of Phyllida Barlow.â Border Crossings Magazine. Issue NO. 148. 2018. Friedberg, Anne. The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft. MIT Press, 2009. Fulkerson, Matthew. The First Sense: a philosophical study of human touch. MIT Press 2014. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.7551/mitpress/. Accessed September 23, 2020. Gaard, Vance et al. Ecofeminism, Women, Animals, Nature. Temple University Press, 1993. Goldschein, Eric. âThe Incredible Story of How De Beers Created and Lost the Most Powerful Monopoly Ever.â Insider News Magazine. Dec. 19, 2011. https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-de-beers-2011-12. Accessed April 3, 2021. Gomez- Barris, Macarena. The Extractive Zone -Social Ecologies and Decolonial Perspectives. Duke University Press. 2017. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1215/9780822372561. Accessed October 12, 2019. Graw, Isabelle and Lager-Burcharth, Ewa. Painting beyond itself: The Medium in the Post- medium Condition. Stenberg Press, 2013. Hein, Hide; Korsmeyer, Carolyn. Aesthetics in Feminist Perspective. Indiana University Press, 1993. Hollenbach, Julie. âI Must Be Streaming: Exhibition Essay.â Kelowna Art Gallery. July 25, 2020. https://kelownaartgallery.com/i-must-be-streaming/ 62 Jewitt, Carey. Interdisciplinary Insights for Digital Touch Communication. Springer International Publishing, 2020. https://gw2jh3xr2c.search.serialssolutions.com/?sid=sersol&SS_jc=TC0002265182&title =Interdisciplinary%20Insights%20for%20Digital%20Touch%20Communication. Accessed September 26, 2020. Jones, Gary. âAstroTurf.â www.astroturf.com/. Accessed November 3, 2020. Joselit, David. âMarking, Scoring, Storing, and Speculating (on Time).â Painting beyond itself: The Medium in the Post-medium Condition, Edited by Isabelle Graw and Ewa Lajer- Burcharth, Stenberg Press, 2013, pp.11-20. Koeze, Popper. âThe Virus Changed the Way We Internet.â The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html. 26 April 2020. Klonk, Charlotte, et al. âThe White Cube and Beyond.â January 1, 2011, Tate Etc. issue 21: Spring 2011. https://www.tate.org.uk/tate-etc/issue-21-spring-2011/white-cube-and- beyond. Accessed October 15, 2019. Foster, Hall. âSeriously Playful.â Barbara Kruger. Rizzoli, New York. 2010. https://tinyurl.com/ygw3owu3. Accessed March 13, 2021. Kwon, Miwon. âA Message from Barbara Kruger: Empathy Can Change the World.â Barbara Kruger. Rizzoli, New York. 2010. https://tinyurl.com/ygw3owu3. Accessed March 13, 2021. Kwon, Miwon. One place after another: site-specific art and locational identity. Cambridge, Mass. MIT Press, 2002. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.7551/mitpress/5138.001.0001. Accessed November 3, 2019. Planet of the Humans. Dir. Jeff Gibbs. Rumble Media and YouTube. April 21, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE. Accessed August 24, 2020. Ramsey, David. âWill blue light from electronic devices increase my risk of macular degeneration and blindness?â April 8, 2009. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/will-blue-light-from-electronic-devices-increase- my-risk-of-macular-degeneration-and-blindness-2019040816365. Accessed September 28, 2020. Shell Global, www.shell.com/. Accessed January 25, 2021. Silcoff, Sean. âPlenty of toilet paper to go around.â Globe and Mail. March 12, 2020. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-plenty-of-toilet-paper-to-go-around- canadas-biggest-producer-kruger/. Accessed March 20, 2020. 63 Steyerl, Hito. âIn Free Fall: A Thought Experiment on Vertical Perspective.â The Wretched of the Screen. E-Flux Journal. Sternberg Press, 2013. Stats Canada. âCanadian Consumers Prepare for COVID-19.â April 8, 2020. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/62f0014m/62f0014m2020004-eng.htm.Accessed March 12, 2020.
Thesis/Dissertation
eng
Visual Arts
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Graduate
Egami, Renay
I must be streaming
Text