I

Can we really see?

i, 2020
Oil paint, acrylic and stainless steel
Unique work
H70 x W70 x D24cm
© Mark Humphrey

“i PLAYS ON THE HUMAN EYE, THE ‘I’ OF THE SELF AND THE DIGITAL ‘i’ THROUGH WHICH WE INCREASINGLY SEE, COMMUNICATE AND CONSTRUCT OUR IDENTITIES. BUILT FROM TRANSLUCENT BLOCKS, THE EYE BECOMES BOTH A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE AND A COLLECTION OF DIGITAL PIXELS, EACH COMPONENT CONTRIBUTING TO THE IMAGE WE CHOOSE TO PRESENT.

THE VIBRANT THREAD-LIKE STRANDS WITHIN EACH BLOCK BECOME VEINS OF LIGHT AND WEBS OF CONNECTION, LINKING THE INDIVIDUAL PARTS INTO SOMETHING STRONGER THAN ANY ONE COMPONENT ALONE. TOGETHER, THE BLOCKS FORM AN EYE, BUT ALSO SUGGEST A WALL BEING BUILT BRICK BY BRICK – A METAPHOR FOR CONSTRUCTING CONFIDENCE, RESILIENCE AND BELIEF IN OURSELVES.

THE ILLUMINATED EYE IS SUSPENDED IN MID-AIR BY CABLES, APPEARING TO HOLD ITS OWN POWER WITHIN THE SURROUNDING DARKNESS. YET THE SAME CONNECTIONS THAT SUPPORT IT CAN ALSO BECOME A WEB THAT HOLDS IT IN PLACE. THE WORK CONSIDERS THE TENSION BETWEEN INDEPENDENCE AND DEPENDENCE – WHETHER THE STRENGTH WE CONSTRUCT FOR OURSELVES CAN STAND ALONE, OR WHETHER IT RELIES UPON THE VIEWS, LIKES AND APPROVAL OF OTHERS.”

Mark Humphrey