Data Ghosts

Erica Shires

Artwork Description:
I am an interdisciplinary artist working with video, sound, 3D-gaming software, and other emerging technologies. Art/Science collaborations are the foundation of my research-driven art practice. Central themes of my work include concepts of mortality, the obsolescence built into image-making, and our era’s growing environmental concerns. With a photography career spanning two decades, I have a deep relationship working with historical image-capturing techniques and have been combining my imagery with Generative AI and 3D software.

I see parallels between the early days of photography and the visual language developing through our rapidly evolving technology. Eadweard Muybridge’s groundbreaking scientific motion studies revolutionized our understanding of movement in film. And much like the early days of photography, when inventors like Muybridge pushed the boundaries of what was conceivable, we find ourselves in an era of experimentation and exploration. Today’s advancements in AI are reshaping how we perceive, interact with, and create art. I am examining connections between the history of photography and our current emerging technologies to gain a deeper understanding of the constant evolution of visual language and the impact of innovation on artistic expression.