Andrew Hembd | Dial Tone: Trouble with the Connection Hembd looks to technology of the 1980s and ‘90s as it relates to today’s tech landscape when creating. He ties in themes related to society’s attachment to social media and is informed by the role consumerism has played for the last five decades. Hembd uses various mediums to communicate through including papier-mâché, screen printing, stop motion animation, and his favorite, acrylic paint. He also incorporates analog devices, displaying them alongside various pieces. “My art has evolved organically over my time in grad school,” added Hembd. “I had recently lost a pet I was very close to, so that became a theme right away.” His upcoming thesis exhibition installation, Dial Tone: Trouble with the Connection , critiques and explores the impact of consumerism and nostalgia “through an immersive, multi-room experience on our sense of identity and human connection.” “This work is about the growing disconnect in a society where digital interactions increasingly replace physical and emotional ones,” elaborated Hembd. “The superficial connections fostered by our devices are contributing to a mental health crisis marked by isolation, aggression, and misinformation.” Five distinct rooms will be constructed to evoke specific themes Hembd explores in his work, each one representing something different. Room themes include nostalgia and identity, the evolution of technology, social media and perception, branding and consumer culture, and finally, grief and disconnection. “Woven throughout the exhibition are intimate pieces centered on the loss of my late dog. By using this personal narrative, the work is given a relatable human experience about loss, as death is a part of living,” described Hembd. “It’s symbolizing the deep genuine connections that are sometimes lost amid a hyper- connected, but emotionally distant world.” “Now that I’ve had time to find out what's important to me, I believe in being true to yourself and your creative process. Making art because you need to make it and not making it solely to please others.”
ANDREW HEMBD
18 | 605MAGAZINE.COM
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