My work aims to draw connections between the ephemeral nature of data and its often-unconsidered long lasting physical presence within data centres. In my work I am interested in investigating the connection between the physical form our data takes as unreadable code in servers, and the idea of a monolith or standing stone with illegible or lost text. This idea of a monolith seeming unknowable and looming, mirrors that of a towering data server, containing millions of moments from thousands of lives, hidden away and out of sight. Its expanse striking within the viewer a sense of fear and awe. Many of my explorations are informed by shapes and textures drawn from a nearby site in LSAD focused on the storage and upkeep of data and technology. Influenced by the surrealist style of Joan Miro and Max Ernst’s abstract drawings and etchings, my work depicts this intangible yet physical life of data through both a softer dreamlike use of line and the more solid and repetitive formations. The disjointed nature of this contrast aims to create a sense of unease and disharmony within the work. By creating contradictions within my processes, I aim to subvert the notion of technological superiority, highlighting the inherent value in both modern and historical modes of production. Within my art teaching practice, I integrate my interest in the digital world into my lessons by prompting students to explore their connection to digital media and contemporary visual language through discussion around technology and AI. It is vital that the work students create have a connection to their lived experiences and with technology being a major part of our lives now, art should provide them with a space to consider this relationship.
