“False Identities”

My work reflects an ongoing examination of individuality in a mass-consumer, information-technology driven society. I explore the microphysics of individuality, asking where and how identity is constructed en masse. I ask what, in an age of false identities, is deceit? My current work, “False Identities,” consists of four cultural artifacts used for personal identification: a citizenship card, a health care card, a social insurance card, and a credit card. Text is added to each card to activate the visual plane. This text includes: “is it in where we were born and where we now live,” “is it in the way we are treated,” “is it in where we work,” and “is it in what we buy?” The visual and linguistic interplay of the piece effectively raises questions of identity. The viewer may wonder whether identity is false and/or forged. And, to what extent society mediates and delineates the terms of our individuality. I draw my ethos and method from subaltern studies and the works of Kara Walker and Cindy Sherman. Their exploration of marginalized cultural groups in relation to identity has inspired me to explore similar issues. Although Walker’s work relates to race, this issue transforms into a question of identity when she asks: “Who am I beyond this skin I'm in?” Sherman functions in a similar mode, when she examines how people form their self-image. This art is vital in a society that consumes identity so readily. “False Identities” challenges viewers to see the process of social configuration at work in the locus of identity.