Subject #4 variation 1
Laser-cut embossed archival inkjet print
Unique piece
Subject #1
Subject #3
Laser-cut embossed archival inkjet print
Unique piece
Subject #9
Laser-cut embossed archival inkjet print
Unique piece
Belonging is as intrinsic to our humanity as water is to our survival. While the journey to cultivate a sense of belonging and an identity are a universal pursuit the means to do so are rapidly changing in our modern times. The introduction of the computer and the subsequent platforms to socialize upon them, has altered our sense of self and the very mechanisms for how we develop our identity and to which groups we belong.
El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos (Belonging in Modern Times)(2019) explores social media platforms and examines their role in how we present ourselves, assemble and curate our self-identity online. My aesthetic choices are dictated by exterior criteria with the intent of controlling and manipulating choice to amplify the layers distancing our authentic self from the curated one we present online.
Inspired by the Cubist investigation of materiality and perspective I utilize collage to compile laser-cut components of portraits of subjects found on the very platforms I am critiquing. Embossed on the paper are the words of the most currently popular hashtags. Acting like an invisible tatoo, these words are aspirational, a call to wear the seal of the cloud-based tribe you wish to belong to.