The Fruits of Technology An Art Proposal by Jonathan Yergler

In 1976, two fellows by the names of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the company we now know as Apple Inc. Over the past 40 years, Apple has grown by leaps and bounds, all the while pushing the limits of current technology and leading the way to new horizons of technological development. Apple products can now be found in nearly every home, whether it is an IPod, IPhone, IMac, or IPad. Apple has become a name and symbol synonymous with the most cutting edge, user-friendly technological platforms of our society.

Because of Apple’s influence on the world’s technology market, I have chosen to use the symbol of the apple to represent technology as a whole for this art project. I want to emphasize the fact that I am in no way trying to advertise for Apple or shed negative or positive light on the company. The apple used in my piece is a mere representation of the technology we all use on a daily basis.

The piece I am proposing is called “The Fruits of Technology”. It examines in a representative light the extensive reach of technology in all aspects of our lives. Over the last 100 years, as technology has advanced, we as a global society, have become more and more reliant on it. The goal of my piece is to show the possibility of how we may have become too dependent upon our technology.

By no means will my piece condemn the many uses of modern technology. However, the piece is designed to make the viewers think about how their attachment to technology affects their life. I want each viewer to leave the exhibit considering how they identify themselves when it comes to the technology they use.

My art installation will be located in the Media Arts section of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Home to works by artists such as Nam June Paik and Dan Graham, this collection aims to ”reflect the history of technological and conceptual advancements in art.”

My installation will require a small circular room, such as the one shown to the right. The room will be divided in half by a wall. As the viewer enters the first half of the room, they will be met by pristine white walls and beautiful white marbled floors. The only color in the room will be a solitary bright red apple, suspended in the middle of the dividing wall. The viewer will only be able to see half of the apple from this side. Accompanying the calming visuals will be some very light classical music

This side represents the simplicity of our existence and the untainted technologic possibilities we are able to have in our world. This side is so simple that my hope is to evoke a sense of curiosity and wonder as they continue on to the other side of the exhibit.

As the viewer walks along the circular path, they will see a dark doorway leading to the next room. The closer they get, the more curious they will be because the classical music will begin to be drowned out by the noise bleeding into the white room. As they entire the other side, they will see a very different spectacle.

Once the viewers enter the second room, they will be completely enveloped in darkness. The only light will come from a single spot light, illuminating the other half of the apple. On this side the apple will be a cold silver rather than its natural red color. As the viewer looks down the apple, they will see that there are chains coming off the bottom. Attached to the chains will be fake human arms, clinching tightly to a phone, a tablet, and computer. Here, under the apple, will also be a mannequin hanging by the neck, painted silver everywhere, even over the face. Inside this part of the room will be a noisier soundtrack. I will compile a track containing the many different sounds that our phones and computers make every time we receive a notification.

The handcuffs and mannequin will be slightly different in the actual exhibit. There will be three chains with cuffs containing representations of human arms. Each hand will be tightly grasping an article of modern tech. The mannequin will have hair and be hanging from the neck, suspended above the floor. The apple and mannequin will be painted silver to symbolize the absence of identity caused by attachment to personal devices.

This more disturbing side of the display represents the way that we have become so attached to our technology that we have lost ourselves inside of it. We create personas via social media and we ascribe value to how many people “follow” us or how many “likes” we got on our last picture. The identities we create via technology are often poor, mostly fictional representations of our actual physical lives.

This position in the display yields a very interesting sensory experience for the participants. If you stand with one foot in each room, you are able to look down the wall and see both sides of the apple and hear the two different soundtracks playing at the same time. This will really give a sense of the duality I am trying to create with this piece.

The goal of this installation is not to get people to leave the museum and want to get rid of their phones. On the contrary, I firmly support the advancement of technology, especially at its intersection with art. My piece is simply a precautionary warning not to loose your personal identity inside the digital world. The images we create of ourselves in that world can be so gorgeous and alluring that we spend the majority of our time living a fake life inside a screen. “The Fruits of Technology” is simply designed to remind you that there is a real world out there, and not to forget about it because you can never look away from your screen.

I would like to thank my fiancé, Genevieve Guoin, for her help with the 3D renderings of the physical space for my project. Also, thank you to my TA, Stephanie Sherman, for her helpful input to this project.