all we could be

STATEMENT

“All We Could Be” focuses on the skin as a corporeal boundary between the human body and the rest of the world. Metaphorically, the skin functions as a boundary between humans and digital technology within my work. This series depicts what the loss of that boundary would look like, within the framework that our connections and relationships operate similarly to the way a forest functions. The interconnectivity of mycelium and fungi, the way the trees grow and decay, and the growth and and transformation that every creature individually undergoes is all equivalent to how we operate as a society. For this reason, I make reference to each of these elements by combining natural elements with my own body and synthetic materials. The result is a dystopian environment that showcases moments of overlap, mimicry, and unnatural interactions between these entities. What happens when we let go of the boundary between humans and the digital world?

The primary difference between humans and any digital replication of life is the experience of emotion and consciousness. Allowing humans and digital technology to overlap completely without any boundary would inevitably create a tension in emotional experience. In response to this idea, I used phrases and excerpts from my personal journals to title each piece – as well as the entire series. My journaled words were typically written in the height of emotion, a very human and volatile response to my personal struggles and experiences. Exposing these words creates a new level of vulnerability and exposure within the work, an idea that is central to how our privacy operates digitally.

This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.