Rebecca Emmerich

Artist Statement

In much of my work I am investigating the conceptual idea that the physical space around us is becoming less relevant and so by extension less real. We are able to communicate with people anywhere in the world at any time and travel virtually anywhere in a matter of hours rather than weeks or months. This makes time and space, which have always been essential components of humanity, comparatively less relevant. When analyzed further, however, this idea that our physical surroundings are irrelevant is an illusion. We may feel as though our reality exists in our phones and that we have progressed to a point where physical constraints are no longer relevant, but ultimately, the present moment and the space in which we exist are all we have. I grapple with this tension by depicting fantastical spaces that at once feel as though they can be entered but are also inaccessible and disconnected from any known reality. I find that the present state of technology that is constantly available and ever present creates a sense of chaos and anxiety that leaves every moment filled with distraction. While humans used to have moments of rest during the day, technology now fills in every possible gap so that we are never required to confront ourselves and fill our own space.