Art Projects
Stella combines photography and digital painting techniques to create immersive and imaginative environments, ranging from realistic to fantastical. Stella’s artwork and publications delve into the exploration of human-AI relations through innovative technologies, offering fresh perspectives on the evolving nature of humanity in the digital age.
"Gaslight Mushroom" is a thought-provoking digital sculpture that delves into the pervasive influence of social media and the emergence of the Metaverse, drawing attention to our intimate yet addictive habit of endlessly scrolling through online content. The artwork portrays a hyperreal interpretation of the gaslight effect, where we are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of digital information through our cell phones, much of which is deemed trivial and unnecessary.
In crafting this digital sculpture, the artist meticulously compiled a vast dataset symbolizing the excessive weight of digital imagery we encounter daily. Through this artistic representation, viewers are invited to immerse themselves in the hyper-information landscape, confronting the digital matter that has become an integral part of modern existence. The visual impact of the artwork evokes a dystopian atmosphere, reminiscent of an atomic bomb explosion, highlighting the potential destructive consequences of information overload.
The artist presents a compelling exploration of the Instagram algorithm's role in shaping our perception of popularity and favoring certain images over others. By analyzing skin tones, the algorithm perpetuates a skewed representation of popularity, raising questions about the impact on society's collective psyche and reinforcing Debord's theory from the book "Society of the Spectacle." Inspired by this theory, the artwork reveals the transformation of the real world into a realm of mere images, captivating and controlling behavior in a hypnotic manner. As viewers contemplate the spectacle's influence, they may recognize the dangerous trade-off between passive consumption of images and a deeper understanding of one's own existence and desires.
Ultimately, "Gaslight Mushroom" serves as a visual commentary on the phenomenon of image obesity and the bombardment of false information that engulfs our lives, creating an invisible enemy that threatens to numb the masses. The artwork challenges viewers to break free from the screen of fog and lethargy generated by the spectacle, encouraging a critical examination of our own relationship with social media, technology, and the quest for genuine connection and self-realization. Special Thanks to Dan Bornstein and Greg Ecker for their 3D artistry.