BRITNEY (B.1981)
202
2021
CUSTOM POS SYSTEM, RECEIPT PAPER
DIMENSIONS VARIABLE
I HACKED A RECEIPT PRINTER TO PRINT OUT THE ENTIRE LIFE OF BRITNEY SPEARS, EVERY SINGLE DAY WAS FORENSICALLY AND JOURNALISTICALLY DOCUMENTED ON A RECEIPT. A COMPUTER PROGRAM WAS MADE TO AUTOMATE THE PRINTING PROCESS. THE RECEIPTS, CHRONOLOGICALLY PRINTED, CONTAIN ELEMENTS RANGING FROM TV APPEARANCES, MUSIC VIDEOS ALL FRAME BY FRAME; TABLOIDS, PAPARAZZI PHOTOS, TO INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK POSTS, REFLECTING THE CHANGE IN TECH AND MEDIA OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS.
SVA GALLERIES, UNTITLED ART FAIR, MIAMI, FL
11.29 - 12.04, 2021
HOME GALLERY, NEW YORK, NY
09.25 - 09.29, 2021
SINCE THE CONSERVATORSHIP TRIAL OF BRITNEY SPEARS GAINED MOMENTUM IN RECENT MONTHS (AND HOW THAT COINCIDED WITH OUR GROWING CULTURAL AWARENESS AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS ON THE FORE), ALEXANDER SI HAS TAKEN IT UPON HIMSELF TO DOCUMENT THE ENTIRETY OF THE MUSICIAN'S LIFE THROUGH MEDIA OF ALL FORMS--MUSIC VIDEOS, TV INTERVIEWS, TABLOID COVERAGE, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE CURRENT TRIAL. THE SINGER'S LIFE PARALLELED THE ARC OF THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF US HISTORY IN RECENT YEARS, SHEDDING LIGHT ON CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, MEDIA, AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS. IN THE 90S, AT THE HEIGHT OF HER TEEN POP FAME WAS ALSO WHEN THE WEALTH AND POSITION OF THE US IN THE WORLD WAS UNQUESTIONED. BY THE MID TO LATE 2000S, THE TABLOID AND MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES MIRRORED THE NEAR FINANCIAL COLLAPSE FROM THE REAL ESTATE BUBBLE. AS A REFLECTION OF THE STATE OF THIS COUNTRY AND IT'S PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION AND DETERMINATION TO CHANGE COURSE, SI'S WORK USES SPEARS'S LIFE AS A LENS TO SURVEY THE IMPACT OF MEDIA AND CULTURE THAT WE CONSUME.
BRITNEY (B.1981) IS A FOUR-PART DURATIONAL SCULPTURE THAT TAKES ITS FORM AS A WALL-INSTALLED RECEIPT PRINTER. OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR DAYS, THE PRINTER WILL BE ACTIVATED EVERY DAY TO PRINT THE CHRONOLOGICAL SCREENGRABS OF SPEARS' MEDIA OVER TIME. THE FORENSIC DOCUMENTATION OF THE POP SINGER’S EVERY MOVE PAINTS A COMPLETE PICTURE OF HER LIFE THROUGH IMAGES. SOME OF THESE RECEIPTS WILL BE VERY SHORT, LIKE APPEARANCES AND MAGAZINE COVERS, OTHERS RATHER LONG, LIKE EVERY SECOND, EVERY FRAME OF HER MUSIC VIDEOS CAPTURED IN A SERIES OF STILLS. AS THE RECEIPTS PILE ON, MORE AND MORE THEY BECOME DETRITUS OF OUR MEDIA CONSUMPTION, WHICH CREATES A SUFFOCATING AND ENTRAPPING WINDOW.
- SOPHIA MA
