THE SINNERS WE ARE - 2018

Ongoing multimedia exploration of our contemporary fascination with the pornography of violence using a series of objects intended for comfort. However, these object depict a series of violent acts sourced from police body and dash camera footage, youtube videos, and print archives with all signs of the victims and perpetrators removed. What is left is our need to project violent narratives in order to create a clear moral hierarchy that justifies our casual consumption of violent media. Desensitization to these sources is criticized through the use of Baker Miller pink, a color that coats isolation rooms for violent inmates in many state prisons, in each piece. Research has shown that exposure to these hues releases Oxytocin in the brain upon viewing, subconsciously calming the subject. As people who inadvertently or intentionally observe violent acts through news or criminal fiction, we are placed in a position of moral responsibility. Are consumers of this genre of media merely fascinated observers, or are we glorifying the act of violence as another form of entertainment?