During the last few weeks we have been studying numerous art theories established by different critics and theorists, both in and out of the art world. As we research further, I find that some of my art is in direct conversation with some of the theories of Jean Baudrillard. Baudrillard constructs a theory of “hyperreality” for the world. Hyperreality is a world constructed by entertainment, technology, and consumerism. Examples of the hyperreal realm include Disneyland, amusement parks, professional sports, and shopping malls. Baudrillard recognizes that humans often accept this hyperreality as being more real than reality itself.
Like Baudrillard, I am fascinated by the hyperreal and its presence in our society. It is a world that we humans construct with our technology and in our minds and begin to accept as the truth and reality. The commercials and “reality” television shows that we see have become what we think is real. I often use my art as a vehicle for expressing my commentary on hyperreality. In the past I have created work that comments on our consumer culture and our expedited systems of communication.
It is not natural or real, in the tangible sense of the word, to be thousands of miles away from someone and communicate with them in a matter of seconds, but the hyperreal realm has made this a possibility and an expectation of society. I demonstrate how we have become a society of consumers trapped in a world of quick communication. I create work that touches on the hyperreal and raises the public’s consciousness of such a thing. In fact, much of my art uses graphic symbols and language that resembles the mass communication style of the hyperreal realm. My use of a similar medium allows the message to be interpreted quickly and by many, but my message is quite different from the hyperreal…my message is a direct commentary on the hyperreal and how it has unconsciously become core value and foundation in our culture.
