aluminum, wood, plastic, microcontroller, LEDs, jack plug and socket, earplugs
2017
As Within, So Without is an exploration of self-awareness through technologically mediated relationships. In our ever-increasingly connected existence, isolation and loneliness is still pervasive. This interactive installation challenges viewers to consider mindfulness as a technique for reaching a deeper sense of interconnection in relationships.
Near the gallery entrance a display of headsets are available for viewers to use. Around the perimeter, mounted on the walls of the exhibition space are pods, splitters and cords; handheld objects reminiscent of ubiquitous items in pop culture, and fluorescent orange cords that solicit a cautious exploration of the environment. In the center of the space is a table with vacant docking stations. By using the headsets and connecting to the devices on the wall, viewers choose to engage in a technologically mediated experience. This connection is illustrated through a subtle shift in the lighting environment; everything is connected and everything changes. Docks on the table in the center of the exhibition invite the viewer to connect to other viewers more intentionally to further enrich their newly found perspective of self, others, and environment.
While connecting to the objects within the environment, viewers are simultaneously disconnecting from the physical space in which they reside. Physical reality is muted; an experience that is amplified through the deprivation of sound. This is representative of the experience of connecting to handheld technological devices, such as smartphones wherein the experience of physical reality is muted as our attention is drawn into virtual space. By creating objects with highly reflective surfaces, viewers are confronted with their reflection. Through this interaction and reflection, the viewer is offered an opportunity to see their relationship with technology from a different perspective.
Design and Fabrication by Caitlin Marie Driver*
Documentation by Brian Slawson Photography
*We are grateful for all who supported this project; Graduate Thesis Committee Members: Frankie Flood, Yevgeniya Kaganovich, Robert Grame, Joseph Mougel, and Adream Blair. Additional Faculty Support: Jennifer Johung, Nicole Ridgeway, Ryan Mandell, Nathaniel Stern, Rina Kundu, Kim Beckman, and Michael Dale Bernard. Visiting Artist Studio Visits: Kiel Johnson, Bob Ebendorf, Veleta Vancza, Mike Bray, Gary Schott, and Harlan Butt. Graduate Student Cohort: Austin Boechler, Anna Freerksen, Ethan Krause, Zachary Manners, Kayla Massey, Patrick Stromme, and David Kent Watson. Electrical Engineer: James Marquardt. Installation Assistant: Maksym Prykhodko. Fabrication Volunteers: Zachary Driver, Scott Kraehnke, Christof Sander, Patrick Charles Walter, and Kendra Zimmerman. Photographer: Brian Slawson. Models: Sheila Rad, Aaron Cochran, and Cory O’Brian Borkowski. And finally, all the countless others that shared their perspective and time participating. Thank you!
Exhibition Record
