troy /courses /210 /statement

I have a nihilistic disposition. When things seem hopeless, it is of comfort to realize that in the entirety of our existence - as we understand it - the universe is finite. Nothing matters! The reality is our sun’s super nova will wipe this record away.

I take great comfort knowing that my mistakes never even register as a speckle in the space-time continuum; the mistakes of our entire generation make no difference. The net effects on this entirety effect no noticeable change. So why not try? Try to cause an effect! You have nothing to lose, as failure is the inevitable.

If I am wrong – which I often am – then you are simply empowered in this nihilistic view that the world of matter cannot continue and that our idea of existence must be a purely cerebral state.

I am not a nihilist (anymore); I’m an optimist with a nihilistic disposition. Only through accepting that nothing matters and nothing can sustain meaning – the same way that the sun cannot sustain our lives – I am liberated from the positional guilt of being part of a damaged system. Knowing that the human race will end, and with it the problems that humans have created, brings me to a place of hope, a hope for humankind.

If we have nothing to lose – as I truly feel we do – then we can begin to deal with these enormous problems facing us as culture, as well as individuals. That is what drives me.

I take inspiration form the work of Krzysztof Wodiczko. He creates work that serves as a commentary for problems that are commonalities in our culture. Specifically his Homeless Vehicle Project, in which he created a vehicle, to be used both for personal shelter and can and bottle collection/storage for people without homes living in New York City. What I appreciate about this work is that it makes the ignorable unavoidable.

My previous work creating an interactive busking vending machine is inspired by Wodiczko’s work. I used similar methods during the design, incorporating utility and practicality into the work.

Another artist whose work I admire is the pseudo-anonymous English graffiti artist Banksy. His/Her work is satirical in nature covering topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. I am not sure how this influences my work directly; I can only saw that I admire the efficiency to effectiveness ratio that is apparent Banksy’s work. One piece is a mural of a maid pulling up that painted fascia of a wall to sweep the “dirt” into the revealed brick wall. I feel this imagery challenges the observer to acknowledge that we are moving through a world of fronts, in which “the dirt” of our society is swept under. Though I work in an entirely different medium, I hope to use electronics and technology to inspire alternatives to established structures.