Joseph Nechvatal in Postflesh


Joseph Nechvatal¹s computer-robotic paintings demonstrate new frontiers for representation of the body. Nechvatal has devised a method for creating viral computer-robotic assisted paintings, stemming from a computer virus program. Images of the human body are subjected to the virus, and are radically destabilized, as Nechvatal notes: Œimages of the flesh are undone by viral disturbances they cannot contain ­ even as I identify the body as a central matrix of possibilities¹. The resulting images are beautiful and intriguing but also thought provoking: subjected to computer manipulation, the body takes on new forms, and becomes a site of redefinition in relation to technological intervention.

Entering into the first decade of a new millennium, the work in Postflesh draws attention to the social, ethical and personal implications of a technology driven society. It also invites the viewer to ponder on the role of artists as visionaries and observers, and the future possibilities of artistic practice both in using and evolving technological advancements.

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RACHEL CLARKE for the show Post-Flesh, University Gallery, California State University, Sacramento, California







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