#Socialmediology

SELFLESS is a body of work which reinterprets the “selfie” using drawing and traditional photography. The “selfie” has become one of the most popular forms of exhibitionism today.  It allows the taker of the image the chance to present their looks and lifestyle to the world in a way that satisfies their ego.

Herne was originally inspired to make this work after seeing people on social media constantly posting selfies of themselves.  The selfies were all taken in different places but usually the poster would have an adopted pose they would use.  It was almost like seeing the same photo again and again.  It was almost like you didn’t have to see another selfie by that person ever again as you knew what it would look like.  This led Herne to create the SELFLESS selfies.  Selfies of people with all their defining features and detail taken away.

Herne sought to subvert the idea of the selfie further by making the images for this series using traditional photographic processes.  Selfies are usually taken using digital photography.  If the photographer doesn’t like what they took they can throw it away and take another.  Herne’s SELFLESS images have a greater feeling of permanence and durability due to the time taken to develop them in the darkroom.

Herne’s aim with this work is to provoke a dialogue on our own identity and how we share it with others.  By repeatedly taking the same stylised photographs of oneself do we actually display any of our true personality? 

Light Geist is a series of sculptural artworks which investigates current events and trending issues and how we respond to them using social media. Light Geist was originally shown as an installation but for #Socialmediology each sculpture is an artwork in its own right.

Each work from the series depicts imagery related to events or trends that have been reported or posted online.  In this work Herne tries to counter 24/7 news and a constantly changing cycle of stories and trends by immortalising particular moments that he has come across online.  Presenting these stories as a physical sculpture gives them a feeling of permanence so that they don’t get lost in the wave upon wave of news we are bombarded with each day.  The sculptures themselves also resemble screens which relates to where the artist first viewed these stories.

Light Geist questions how the media is used to portray people and events in ways which are favourable to certain groups or viewpoints.  It also documents more frivolous things such as internet trends and slang.

Meme is a collection of memes presented on paper.  The image used for this particular meme is taken from a photogram of an inanimate object created by the artist.  This image has been combined with text taken from people’s posts on social networking sites, advertising and news stories from the internet.  This combination leaves the viewer with disjointed and juxtaposed narrative.  This body of work continues Herne’s exploration of how we interact and communicate with each other online using social media.

The work aims to highlight the absurdity and banality of everyday life and how it has been impacted by new forms of communication.  The work also enquires about our privacy in the digital age.  Each meme is an insight into a friend, family member, acquaintance or stranger’s life.  By posting on a social media site they have released their thoughts into the public domain giving anyone full access to their insights. 

With the internet giving us freedom to say what we want; do we actually say anything of importance and how are we perceived by others because of the things we post online?

Screen Grab is series of artworks which explores our obsession with technology, in particular the screen, using the mediums of traditional and digital photography. 

In todays digital culture owning a smart phone or tablet has become the norm.  These compact devices are gateways to knowledge, entertainment and allow us to do things that a few years ago were unimaginable.  It is very hard to go anywhere without seeing someone using a device or staring into a screen.  Reports and online studies are constantly saying that increased time looking at a screen is detrimental to mental and physical well being- especially that of children and teenagers.

Herne’s work is a response to the rise in our screen usage.  The artist has made marks and left impressions on photographic paper mimicking the way we use our fingers and hands on the screens of our devices.  Finger marks run down the image as if scrolling down a news feed on Facebook or strokes swipe from left to right like someone using Tinder.  The artist in turn has developed and imported these images to the computer and enhances their tones to create these abstract images that are almost like paintings.

The artist’s aim is to create something which is aesthetically pleasing to replicate the allure of the screen.  At the same time Herne uses a monochromatic colour scheme and muted tones to reflect a sense of foreboding and loss.  These images act almost like a footprint, or in this case fingerprint, marking the way in which we navigate technology. 

#Influencers is a project which sees Herne transpose his head on to the bodies of Instagram influencers through the medium of digital drawings.  The project is part homage, part spoof, and part envious admiration. 

Following on from Herne’s exploration of the selfie in his series SELFLESS, his new body of work explores the social media entrepreneurs, the Instagram influencer.  The influencer’s Instagram profile tends to be a living advertisement selling the clothes, food, appliances and destinations we need to have and visit in order to make our lives better.  To some these people seem to have sold their souls in order to gain wealth and celebrity.

Herne doesn’t necessarily want to live the life of an influencer but he cannot lie that he is quite jealous of their achievements and the recognition they receive.  These people clearly put a lot of time into building their brand and their circles of influence and Herne unfortunately doesn’t have the time, energy, or drive to do this.  So instead he has opted to take the easy route and draw himself into their influential posts.

The work also explores a number of themes including the idea of the self-made celebrity, our attraction to social media and the influence it can have on our lives.