Olivia Leid
THE EXPERIENCE
This exhibition features six digital paintings inspired by the city of Chicago, each accompanied by an auditory ambience. Viewers are encouraged to scan the QR code at the bottom of this page and listen to the unique audio file paired with each painting. The following settings were abstracted using textured digital brushes so viewers can explore with ease and draw their own conclusions as to what each painting depicts. The veil of abstraction is lifted when they listen to the audio of each setting. Each scene then shifts from a collection of brushstrokes to a setting they may have encountered many times before.
THE MESSAGE
This show is made to reveal the dangers of escapism and the ways daily distractions warp our perceptions of reality. Today’s possibilities to escape are enough to fully remove ourselves from the responsibilities of everyday life. This practice becomes harmful when the mind begins to lose itself to enticing fantasies and the days fall into a pattern of meaningless motion. Vision becomes blurred by technology, and our environment is no longer recognizable without the hum and blink of a friendly device. A lifestyle like this often leads to experiencing loneliness or helplessness. Therefore, this show invites us to lift the veil of distraction and embrace the days as they come.
