The Ways We Record the Universe Are Evidence of Our Own Primitive Nature
Ortega y Gasset Projects is pleased to announce The Ways We Record the Universe Are Evidence of Our Own Primitive Nature, the NYC debut of artist KT Duffy, the recipient of our 2019 Open Call in The Skirt. Presenting in The Skirt, KT Duffy’s The Ways We Record the Universe Are Evidence of Our Own Primitive Nature magnifies moments of interaction and genesis within a series of speculative microcosms to propose an alternative modality, where no entity is bound to a singular device, reality, or substance. The title of the exhibition is taken from a line in Jeff Vandermeer's "Annihilation Trilogy" whose main character is an invading biological entity which can neither be defined or contained. With the integration of digital fabrication and automated systems, Duffy creates an installation that recedes into the distance, disappears into the ground, and distorts the space around it. There is an implication of infinity that is emphasized in the modular aspects of the work and through visual mashups. The amalgamation of the physical sculptural aspects, automation, and color intensity, lend to the all encompassing effects of Duffy’s work. Duffy creates an environment in which the micro and macro coexist, and this conjures the viewers’ sensibility and awareness of the body seen on a molecular and ambient level.
As an educator, Duffy seeks to demystify coding and technology for creatives, centering those underrepresented in STEAM fields. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics. The installation demands the interaction and full attention of viewers, and they accomplish that in their site specific installation.
KT Duffy is a new media artist and educator from Chicago’s southwest side. They received their MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2014 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Art and Technology at Northeastern Illinois University. They have most recently shown at the South Bend Museum of Art, (South Bend, IN), Terrault Gallery (Baltimore, MD), Mono8 Gallery (Manilla, Philippines), and as PIXELFACE at Comfort Station (Chicago, IL). They have been awarded residencies at The Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT), Latitude Chicago (Chicago, IL), ChaNorth (Pine Plains, NY), and Acre (Steuben, WI).