App Attacks: Surface Tension

Acrylic, ink, marker on canvas.

48x36x2"

This series of paintings, App Attacks, address the effects of technology and social media on humans from all generations. The anxiety produced from using tech and social media touches everyone, starting simply from the dirt, grease, and spit found on the surface of ones device to the over sharing of all aspects of individuals minute to minute lives.

One of the odd and most thought provoking depressive parts of social media for many people is their reaction to complete strangers and friends positive postings. These images of people’s success and happiness are harmful to others that believe they are not living as privileged of a life. I use bright-multicolored designs in my paintings to represent the chaos and frustration of these individuals.

Updates and new technology are also a major stress factor for mostly older generations. The older humans become the more they enjoy routines’ and stability. Updates are constantly happening which creates changes for these people that just learned how to use their tech a specific way and now that same tech performs through different actions. Again, the intense colors and heavy shapes evoke the frustration of change.

In some of these paintings I have large abstract oval shapes as well as streaky like black background images, which represent the swiping on the surface of a device as well as the residue and oils left by fingerprints. There is certain unsanitary nature with the equipment since it goes to dinner, the rest room, to work and everywhere else with an individual. It is the most public private thing each human carries. These paintings are a tribute to the neurotic behavior all of us contribute to each day willingly.