I view art as an expression of our current political, social and ecological landscape. Technology has become integral to political and social power throughout the world, and also impacts nature in various ways. The paradox of the vast and interconnected internet is that we are frequently exposed to curated slices of reality. Michael Shermer (2011) uses the term “patternicity” to describe how our brains search for patterns on the basis of limited, and often erroneous, information. As these patterns explain our experience, they easily

translate into beliefs. Algorithms determine how social media content is filtered, ranked, selected and recommended. They create a tight channel of content consumption that reinforce fixed beliefs.

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My work seeks to spark dialogue about the influence of algorithms on our perceptions and beliefs. In the same way that the valves of the heart regulate blood flow through our bodies, algorithms control the flow of information, influencing what we see and how we feel. The work is inspired by the French philosopher Bruno Latour’s (2020) “Critical Zones.” An inter-disciplinary advocate, Latour offers a reimagination of humanity’s relationship with earth. Instead of attempting to grasp the vastness of nature, Latour advocates for a limited band of earth within which the complexity of all life exists. Acknowledgment of the complex and fragile nature of this thin layer inside which all life forms coexist means that we cannot

endlessly extract resources and discard our waste. Algorithms filter our experience, and confine us to echo chambers that limit our understanding of this essential complexity.

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The interconnection between humans, plants and animals informs my work and resonates with the framework offered by Latour. I use mixed media to explore the conditions that embrace complexity, as well as the conditions that restrict it. Art making invites us into reverie, imagination and community. It frees us from the manipulation of life within the algorithm and reveals what is comforting, unsettling and possible within our world.