Endless Witness
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Authors
Pineda Luna, Daniel
Issue Date
2026-05-07
Type
Theses
Language
en_US
Keywords
Art , Sculpture , Installation , Printmaking , Social Media
Alternative Title
Abstract
My online experience is dictated through algorithms and ever-changing information about the current political climate. Images of violent police arrests and an increasing display of unjust power on the public flood social media and news outlets. My work is a response to government control and police violence through the lens of my own social media usage. As I navigate my own use of social media, I am constantly confronted with videos of death and violence to then be followed with completely unrelated videos or memes. endless witness is an immersive printmaking installation using my emotional responses as a filter to talk about officers using excessive force and witnessing unbelievable acts of violence online. I recreate the moments I felt most impacted by using silkscreen on materials such as cardboard, plastic, and newsprint. My experimentation of printing on various surfaces creates unpredictable results and fragments imagery in a way that I find like how social media presents information to its users. Using social media apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels I gather online images and screenshots of state violence. The project also is an extension of other people's social media usage and is a reflection on how constantly viewing these violent acts affects our mental health. Language used within my work plays an important role as I gather online statements and expressions which are then filtered through me and how I view the police. Text meant to be cutthroat and convey direct information to the viewer becomes fragmented as I layer them within the prints. With a limited color palette, I ask people to consider what is important and what becomes background noise.
Description
This printmaking exhibition is focused on documenting my emotional response to state violence and police brutality I experience using social media apps like TikTok. Three distinct artworks of printmaking make up the exhibition that showcase silkscreen printing on various materials such as cardboard, newsprint, and plastic. All the pieces work together to manifest the images of violence online into reality by making the prints take up physical space. I am interested how many repeated videos of police brutality on social media get shown to me daily and how that affects my mental health over time. It also makes me wonder how many other people are experiencing the same thing as social media continues to be a daily routine in many people's lives. Not everyone may experience the same emotional response as myself, but this exhibition may give someone an outlet to also share how they feel when endlessly scrolling online. Through printmaking I can connect with people in a way that makes the artwork feel more approachable. The art is not presented as a precious object, but more as an experience.