Object/ Icon by Joshua Haycraft at Industry Gallery

21 June ‘18

Rapid societal change through technology is generally regarded as a positive force - when problems arise the solution is more tech. We are on a capitalist quest for the ultimate application, the answer to everything, the Magnum Opus - but in many ways this quest is as naive as the alchemist’s. We consume magical devices and ignore the impacts of this accelerating change. Initially science gave humanity a sense of mastery over its environment, creating a malleable rather than immutable future. Today, a sense of disillusionment percolates through society, as change accelerates, and inconvenient truths surround us. Human experience is increasingly filtered through proprietary algorithms designed to extract value from user input - entangling them in a complex system known as “The Market”. In this way, technology acts as a kind of shorthand that represents a network of power that is difficult for our minds to grasp.

Object/Icon considers our evolving relationship to technology and the systems that create and control it. Algorithmic deities promising a better life - solutions to uncertain problems. Technology imbued with mystical and esoteric properties. Spiritual beliefs manifested in consumer goods that can be replaced by newer models as needed.

Joshua Haycraft is multidisciplinary artist fascinated by systems and the aesthetics of science fiction. He lives and works in Los Angeles.