Olivia Liu
How does technology alienate us from our humanity? The further we advance technologically, the further we move away from what makes us human. To be human is to interact, to love, to breathe, and to grow. Whereas technology has provided us with countless benefits, it has also dehumanized us through addiction, temptation, solitude, unethical practices, and mental degradation. It is imperative to highlight these dangers so that we can maintain what makes humanity beautiful amidst the exponential growth and grip of technology.
The perils of technology can be physical or psychological. I experimented with two media to reveal this duality. Oil paints expose the powerful, physiological menace of bullying, addiction, and child labor. I employed bold brush strokes and intense colors to denote the subjects and juxtaposed those with abstract backgrounds to focus on the threats. Watercolors convey the more subtle, psychological yet equally powerful dangers of online dating, social awkwardness, and selfies. Together, the pieces affirm the capacity of technology to alienate us from our humanity.