Digital Collage, Series of 4 

Digital Projection/Video Display

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Imagined as an alter ego, The Glitchkeeper series of digital collages responds to the rise of NFTs, augmented reality image generators, and generative fill tools in programs like Adobe Photoshop. This entity embodies our automation, internet searches, and digital hoarding, questioning what random access memory (RAM) would encounter if it were human. The project is deeply influenced by the historical portrayal of the body and gender in traditional fine art, popular culture, and the internet. The persona of The Glitchkeeper serves as a symbolic critique of the artificiality common in contemporary generative AI image-making and NFTs. It is important to note that these images, while digital, were constructed manually without the use of AI and generative fill. Through photography, motion design & animation techniques, digital painting, 3D modeling, and lighting, I sought to explore the boundaries of digital and traditional image-making. One of the most distinctive techniques involved manufacturing glitches.  To achieve this I used time and data as a material, similar to how I use paint, deliberately taxing my operating system until a glitch occurred for capture. I induced the authentic glitches, resulting in time-specific and unrepeatable ambiguity and fractures that imbue the work with a sense of unpredictability and rawness.

The Glitchkeeper aims to provoke thought about the intersection of technology, identity, and art. By embodying the persona of The Glitchkeeper, I explore the complexities and contradictions of digital communication and identity, challenging the viewer to consider the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on our perception of self and reality. I crafted a gender-fluid persona of The Glitchkeeper to embody this work, similar to adopting a stage name. This exploration of gender was integral to the project, allowing me to critique and reflect on how gender and the body are represented and manipulated in digital and traditional contexts, as well as creating work outside of self-identified gender. \

JURIED EXHIBITIONS

Data Dreams, The eARTh Gallery, Hoxton London, UK. 

INTELLECTUAL IMPACT & MERIT

Intellectual Merit

"The Glitchkeeper" is a project of significant intellectual merit, as it interrogates the intersection of technology, identity, and art. By imagining RAM (a computer's short term memory & data) as a human entity, the project delves into the effects of automation, internet searches, and digital hoarding on our perception of self. Influenced by the historical portrayal of the body and gender in fine art, popular culture, and the internet, "The Glitchkeeper" uses diverse methodologies—photography, motion design, animation, digital painting, 3D modeling, and manufactured glitches—to explore and critique the artificiality prevalent in contemporary generative AI and NFTs. The persona's gender-neutral to masculine embodiment challenges traditional gender representations, providing a nuanced critique of how gender and the body are manipulated in digital spaces.

Impact

"The Glitchkeeper" has made an impact, particularly through its inclusion in the Data Dreams exhibit at eARTh Space Gallery in Hoxton, London, UK. This international exhibition provided a platform for the project to reach a diverse and global audience, enhancing its influence and reach. eARTh Space Gallery, located in a bustling area of London, attracts significant foot traffic and visitors, particularly due to its prominent location in Hoxton, a district known for its vibrant art scene. The visibility of "The Glitchkeeper" in such a venue amplifies its impact, exposing a wide audience to its critical exploration of digital identity and technology. Exhibiting at an international gallery like eARTh Space not only elevates the project's profile but also underscores its relevance in global conversations about technology and art. The exposure to a diverse audience fosters greater understanding and dialogue about the themes of automation, digital hoarding, and gender representation. This international platform allows "The Glitchkeeper" to contribute meaningfully to the discourse on contemporary digital art, highlighting the critical role of artistic exploration in navigating and understanding the complexities of our digital age