Misapprehended - Fall 2023 - Visual Arts

Fall 2023 Visual Culture: REPRESENT!: Misapprehended
SHAWN SAUMELL
Divided, 2023
Photography, 12” x 18” x 1”
Media, as a powerful tool for shaping perceptions and values,
has both the potential to promote diversity and inclusion and
the capacity to reinforce stereotypes and biases. The portrayal of
race and gender in media can profoundly impact how individuals
perceive themselves and others, ultimately influencing societal
norms and attitudes. Whether through casting decisions,
storylines, or advertising campaigns, media plays a significant
role in reflecting and sometimes perpetuating systemic
inequalities.
Simultaneously, the rapid advancement of technology,
particularly artificial intelligence and simulation, is blurring
the lines between reality and virtuality. Virtual environments,
deepfakes, and hyper-realistic simulations challenge our ability
to discern between authentic experiences and fabricated ones,
giving rise to discussions about the “uncanny valley.” This
phenomenon refers to the eerie feeling we experience when
encountering human-like entities that fall just short of being
indistinguishable from real humans.
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