Hatfield art exhibition reveals how technology is taking over our imaginations.

An art exhibition taking place at the University of Hertfordshire will feature imaginative artworks exploring the impact of screen-based technologies on daily life.

From Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, art in its various, diverse forms is a subject founded on the creativity of imaginative minds. However, the work of artists appears to be one of the several millions of jobs that artificial intelligence, and other technological advancements have managed to infiltrate in modern times.

Progress towards more innovative, tech-savvy modes of art production has allowed for the employment of better techniques, enhancement of artistic styles, and most importantly, achieving greater accessibility to services whose contributions have proven to be useful in the creation of artistic pieces. The increased use of incorporating technology into artwork is gradually opening a new dimension where technology is becoming the artist itself.

The art exhibition will be taking place during the second week of March and running through all the way until the end of April is set to display the artwork of artist Fiona Curran, whose work titled Static, intends to explore technology’s impact on daily life.

Rather than use technology to create her piece, Curran’s Static intends to draw attention to the way technology has impacted the lives of many. Though the title of Curran’s work may puzzle some viewers, as it seems to contradict the commonly believed notion that the presence of technology generates a bustling, dynamic setting. However, by giving it the title ‘static’ she provides a different perspective, as she attempts to convey through her artwork, that there are many tasks that can be performed with the click of a button, or a tap on a screen. This convenience however is coming at the cost of having self-reliance, and our ability to think and imagine for ourselves. Therefore, this abandons the need for much movement – hence the title: Static.

Across a span of many professions – specifically in the health sector, the rise of technology has proven to be beneficial in recent decades, by causing an increase in “productivity and innovation” with the potential to contribute to more than 10% of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product, thereby helping to boost the economy significantly, according to a research report conducted by the department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BEIS).

Besides the large-scale impact that the impact of technology is having on the economy, and the workforces of many industries, technology has also found a way to sneak into our everyday routines and personal lives. Whether its loading dishes into the dishwasher or asking Alexa to tell you what the weather forecast is for Wednesday, our dependence on technology has increased to a large extent, compared to previous decades.

Fiona Curran’s art piece will be presented as a solo exhibition that is being hosted by the University of Hertfordshire’s Arts and Culture department. Elizabeth Murton, a curator, expressed her excitement on behalf of the department to be able to organise the exhibition – adding that Curran’s “application of colour” is something that “plays with our perception.”

Fiona Curran, an award-winning mixed-media artist engages in expressing topics including ecological politics and environmentalism in some of her designs. Some defining features of Curran’s work includes repetition of patterns, utilising a contrasting colour palette, as well as a strategic use of layers, to help establish the relationship between colour and space in her works.

“Colour functions as a placeholder, a sensory record of an encounter,” says Fiona Curran, when describing how she perceives colour as an artist. “I like to think of colour in this way, not simply in visual terms, but as a physical presence that we move through continuously.”

Though some may be a bit sceptical over the growing influence of technology, and its impact on our daily lives, there are also a few positive outlooks on technology’s influence – particularly the connection between the work of artists, and the scientists that are responsible for the creation of this technology. Researcher Jonathan Benthall, for example, writes about the possibilities of taking steps that lead towards “new forms of creative collaboration on the highest level between scientists and artists.”

The fear and scepticism regarding the advancement of technology and the role of artificial intelligence is justified. Throughout the years, we have seen the development of new and innovative technologies and inventions, which have completely replaced the need of manual jobs that once required human labour. It is estimated that there are more than one-third of jobs are at risk of being replaced due to automation, which happens to be much more efficient compared to human labour in terms of yielding accuracy, and ensuring quality.

On the other hand, despite the prediction that the advancement of technology is expected to make many jobs redundant in the future, it promises the creation of jobs in the millions, which would help solve the problem of mass unemployment. Thus, the benefit of technology tackling this global issue which affects many countries, would once again positively impact economies as a result. Though there are a few who consider the relevance of art as a profession to be one that is slowly withering away compared to what it once was back in older ages, there is hope that the presence of technology, and the emergence of digital artistic forms could help rejuvenate art and revive its importance once again.