| Premature Deinstallation of Self-Portrait is the documented performance and subsequent internet based dissemination of the early removal of the piece 'Self-Portrait (video booth), 2008' from the group show 'Self-Portraits in the Age of MyFaceSpaceBook'. The show, curated by Mat Gleason and Marla Koosed, is currently on view at I-5 gallery through February 28th, 2009. After attending the opening reception for the exhibition, I felt that the works on display did not go far enough in discussing what might be the current state of self-portraiture in the context of the internet, social networking and viewing artwork online. I felt compelled to encapsulate and add a new layer to the piece I had created in order to question more bluntly these issues. With premature deinstallation, I wanted to address the ideas of constant coverage and the hope for personal stardom conflicting with the desire to retain anonymity and to control one's image. When material is released to the web, it is all but impossible to permanently remove it, bringing along a slew of privacy, copyright and ownership issues. The works aim to question the relevancy of the gallery system and the experience of looking at art, when a nearly infinite audience is willing to trade sub-optimal viewing conditions for a constant and immediate access. |
