Grimfiddle Dogpatch (Mark Myers)
Artist’s Statement:
November, 27, 2006
web.mac.com/mark.myers
I am interested in formulating a symbolic language that addresses individual psychology while also furthering the concept of a “global society ” We can learn a great deal about ourselves by examining the strategies employed by peoples from different cultures which enable them to participate in the arena of world affairs while they retain a connection to their cultural roots. As technologies continue to accelerate, the resultant shock waves are shaking societies to their foundations. My artwork addresses the effects of technology upon culture.
When the world changes, religions and mythologies struggle to respond. Myth today has much the same function it has always held; it teaches us how to live a human lifetime. My symbolic system is based on the same themes that have been presented by artists and mystics alike. The symbols I present are based upon the awakening of individuals to the knowledge of themselves as parts of the whole planetary system; and simultaneously as individuals without boundaries or horizons.
This series of works I have presented express a profound sense of irony that stems from the collision of traditional cultural communities with the juggernaut of global technological advancements. Communication technologies have made virtually any point of our planet accessible to an ever growing population. This technological growth brings information and with it, renewed pressure on both public and private lives. Will variations in customs and lifestyles gradually fade in the glare of a global monoculture? Can we retain some meaningful vestige of our cultural diversity?
I am intrigued with the notion that the internet and telecommunications, the two most ubiquitous representations of expanding globalization, may be responsible for erasing cultural distinctions. Ironically, it may also be our best hope of preserving those distinctions and passing them on to future generations. There is in my view, a great need today for systems of symbolization that can address an emerging world view of the individuals place in the changing environment we are creating.
