It’s no secret that our day-to-day lives are tightly intertwined with technology. With the rapidly growing digital industry, it’s inevitable for technology and our relation to it to be depicted in the arts. That’s exactly the inspiration behind Gary Kaleda’s work.
Our culture is regularly criticized for its attachment to technology, and Kaleda’s work examines this relationship. Using digital programs instead of a palette and brush, he paints works that depict fragmented images of the human form as though distorted by digital artifacts. Although his work is centered in the digital world, all of his pieces remain rooted in the human form and the connection we have to our technology.
“I saw the world become more connected on a global level, but increasingly isolated on an individual level. And within the terrifyingly vast landscape known as the Internet, I looked on as an entire culture turned away from face-to-face communication. Intimacy became cybersex, and true identities were replaced by ideal or false personas, yet we still long to connect. These themes emerged in my figurative paintings and continue to inspire my work today.”
Kaleda currently has a show going on in The La Jolla Gallery in La Jolla, California. His works on display there are from the “Dialog” series that “plays on the concept of a ‘graphical user interface,’ where virtual figures are used to explore the conversations that take place within transmitted data.” The works are digital files printed onto silver halide Digital Duraflex and then face mounted onto quarter inch plexiglas, the production was handled here at Duggal Visual Solutions.
Upcoming in December, Kaleda will have a show right here in New York City at the Anderson Contemporary at 180 Maiden Lane. This exhibition will examine his “Diety 2” and “Lookbook" series’.
“The ‘Diety 2’ series confronts the viewer with towering, godlike personas that simultaneously represent a reflection of ourselves,” states Kaleda. “Continuing to challenge notions of worship, power, and identity in the context of technology.”
“Lookbook,” on the other hand, “features virtual models clothed in a collection of digital brush strokes, lines, and color. The medium is the fashion.”
In a further effort to truly bridge the gap between the digital realm and our physical reality, Kaleda pioneered the usage of QR codes within artwork. Often containing more detailed information for each his work, this addition allows a deeper, more interactive experience for the viewer that relies on the use of our personal devices.
Gary Kaleda’s New York Exhibition will take place between December 10th, 2015 - January 11th 2016 at the Anderson Contemporary — 180 Maiden Lane New York, NY.
