Estrella negra
The life cycle of stars challenges us. Its existence is a commemorative of our blurred conception of time. Human life would be nothing more than a chemical coincidence (or miracle), thanks to which the stars look at themselves and identify themselves. If “from dust we come and to dust we return” then our humanity is nothing more than a mirror of matter; and our mission is to be spectators of this great shipwreck that is the passage of time. This work, inspired by the works of Ben Laposky, seeks to introduce viewers to a world in which technology, the stars and consciousness are thought of as three inseparable elements.
Technical, aesthetic and conceptual development
The main influence in this work is the work of Ben Laposky, a pioneer in the creation of images that he called “electronic abstractions.” Working with objects of an industrial nature, such as an oscilloscope, he uses photographic techniques to produce a new image and construct a new meaning in it. The oscilloscope is an instrument that measures the voltage of an electrical signal and represents it on an electronic graph composed of two axes: the vertical axis represents the intensity of the voltage, and the horizontal axis its temporal development. Jose Luis Brea talks about the use of electronic devices in art, categorizing under the name of electronic art any work that uses “plug-in gadgets” (1), especially those that have the presence of a chip. In the case of Laposky, the main element that makes up his works is the result of this signal conversion process, therefore it could be said that we are facing an electronic work of art.
These monochrome images are characterized by the sensation of depth and movement they convey to viewers. A very clear political intention is manifested in this mode of production, since Laposky appropriates technologies with the intention of giving them a new meaning. Jose Luis Brea speaks of a process of “diffuse aestheticization” present in the production of works in the context of postindustrial capitalism. This process Brea considers inevitable, since it is present in all objects and goods active in social circulation. Just as in industrial capitalism objects became products, in the stage of post-industrial capitalism products are valued mainly for their aesthetic value (2). The images that make up the “electronic abstractions” series show that any object, regardless of its initial purpose, can contain the raw material necessary to produce a work.
Regarding the technical aspect of the work, he used only two elements to build the image. Circles, which move slightly on their axis; and a line that rotates around the center of the image and leaves its trace drawn. A key element of the image is the low opacity of the background, which makes it easier for the path of the figures to be embedded in the image. Aesthetically, the goal is for viewers to feel that the image is endowed with depth, generating the sensation of being a three-dimensional image.
Literature
(1). José Luis Brea - “Breve (y desordenado) antiglosario - o diccionario de tópicos- sobre el arte electrónico.” en La era postmedia. Acción comunicativa, prácticas (post)artísticas y dispositivos neomediales. Salamanca: CASA Editorial (2002). Pag.5 (2). José Luis Brea - “Redefinición de las prácticas artísticas (s. 21)” en El tercer umbral. Estatuto de las prácticas artísticas en la era del capitalismo cultural. Murcia: CENDEAC (2008). Pág.112