We
often live in isolated environments of our own creation. Our communications are
piped in, our waste piped out. Culture is filtered through media inlets like
indoor plumbing. We turn on the spigot and information flows in. We look to the
news to check the weather before looking out the window. We have stores of
provisions to hold the world at bay.
I
have been fascinated with the theme of voluntary isolation, obliviousness, and
being out of touch with our environment. Since the events of the world are
chaotic and we often get the feeling that things are beyond our control, we
withdraw and create a space where we feel if not at peace, at least in charge.
To satisfy our basic need to interact with the world at large we constantly
gather information of our choosing via media sources such as television and the
internet and can choose which situation or event to become emotionally and mentally invested in. This way, we can
pick and choose how we experience the world and don’t have to be troubled by
the spontaneous information thrust upon us when we actually venture out in the
real world. This way we don’t have to have any qualms about selectively
ignoring the world around us. I can think of nothing more isolated and self
contained than a manufactured (mobile) home with a satellite dish.
The media I use for a project varies based on the concept and subject. I use drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and digital media to flesh out an idea and determine which media will best serve a concept. In this project I have chosen to create an assemblage from acrylic, plastic models, water, oil, wood, and metal because these materials reflect those found in the average manufactured home environment.