“We have a profound proclivity towards trying to understand the thoughts and feelings bouncing around inside the skulls of people we interact with, characters on television, and even animated shapes moving around a computer screen.” -Matthew Lieberman,
A pre-programmed need for connection.
Three artists, three perspectives on how we make connections as coping mechanisms in a time of crisis.
“Lifeline”
Rorie Macey
Acrylic on Canvas
11” x 14”
Community is so important for creators. For everyone, really. Social media now more than ever has become a way to keep us connected and keep us inspired. It has been a bridge connecting us. Loved ones, family, friends. Strangers. Macey’s colourful paintings show that while we are all isolated from each other, none of us have to be alone. It is possible to exist on either side of a screen, and find comfort in each other.
"Disconnect"
Sam Ayers
Marker on paper
In her short series, Disconnect, Ayers explores connection with AI. Using selected conversations had with a chatbot on the Internet, she is most interested in conveying the moment of “disconnect” between herself and the bot - the moment she was abruptly reminded that she was, in fact, still only talking to a machine.
In the midst of this crisis, it is so easy to attempt to find comfort in modern AI technology (the Google Assistant immediately comes to mind). Ayers demonstrates just how easy it is to fall into a perceived sense of emotional security with such tech, and how much easier it is for this false trust to be shattered. It echoes the sentiment that there is no true substitute for human empathy and understanding.
"Plant Momma"
Triptych
Loren Ellison
Photography, digital collage
Plant Momma is a play on the artist’s own nurturing relationship to her houseplants. In a bid to add more interest to Quarantine, Ellison describes an intentional decision to name each and every plant in the house, and ascribe a corresponding personality. This “humanizing” has caused a bond she describes as that of a mother and child(ran). Her self-portrait series is inspired by traditional family photos, often using multiple panels to exaggerate just how many plants she’s adopted since March.