Fragments of the Self. An Exhibition by Jessica Swank. Web Banner.

June 1 - August 3, 2022Crutchfield Gallery


Artist Statement

Fragments of the Self addresses the relationship between humans and digital technology from a personal perspective. Intersections of organic and synthetic materials within the constructed photographs function as a metaphor for the blurred boundaries between humans, machines, and nature. By utilizing various methods of self-extension, fragmentation, and recontextualization, I attempt to depict the merging of these entities. At this point, humans and machines no longer exist at opposite poles. They reside on a spectrum, with much overlap between them. Once their boundaries are given a physical form, it is possible to sever, mend, or remove them completely.

Many elements within the images are remnants of myself or those close to me, abject traces of my own existence. Flesh-like membranes represent extensions of myself and use my own skin tone as a form of self-portraiture. Combined with both natural and manufactured objects, I view these images and sculptures as relative to the cyborg. These liminal objects embody multiple ideas and entities simultaneously. Technology allows for duplication and extension of the self in a similar manner. When examined closely, the structures and systems between the technological and biological world are not so different. It is easy to blur the lines between them when the digital world is carefully modeled to mimic that with which we are familiar. In documenting the interplay between material, gesture, landscape, and my own fragmented body, these images form a narrative of interdependence, reliance, tension, and inseparability.



What We're Made Of
What We're Made Of
Geometric Figures by Jessica Swank
Geometric Figures
Self Mended No. 1 by Jessica Swank
Self Mended No. 1