With the continuation of the theme of humanity focusing in on equality, diversity and acceptance and following on from my previous artwork series ‘I am human’ and ‘We are human’ this body of work looks into this continued theme, the physical aspect of humanity, the differences and similarities, but also the perceived perception of individuals based on bias and stereotype.
In recent years and with current situations, people have come together a lot more but in the same breath people have divided themselves, looking for differences and highlighting them as an act of segregation.
These acts have been heavily based on fear and ignorance, with this in mind the work explores the effects of these actions on others and how words do cause lasting stigma felt by the individual who is the recipient of the stigma.
Through the medium of video, sound and installation this work looks to create a link between the viewer and the artwork, asking questions of the individual viewer’s own past and creating an aspect of reflection. Putting the viewer in a position of bias and stereotyping and so hopefully creating an understanding and perspective of the effects of segregation, bias and stereotyping.
As you enter in to a darkened room you are presented with a multitude of screens of different sizes which display many different mouths, seemingly mouthing along to the audio that is played throughout the room in a surround sound set up, at first the mouths seem to speak with the audio, but then you notice that the audio and visuals are not in fact in sync, the audio is a cacophony of noice of all the mouths separate speakings, as you listen you are presented with the many different phrases and words in different languages and genders of each are detrimental, aggressive and insulting.
This is were for the viewer the idea of matching the audio to the visual comes into play, you are put into the position of the aggressor and you find yourself matching the audio to the visual based of the detrimental audios comments that you hear, you look for visual cues and make matches based on the bias and stereotyping of the comments, reflecting back on your own past and experiences.
The work is focusing on humanities differences and similarities not only the physical but also the mental, emotional and societal.
'Whatever you say I am, I am not' 2021