Do I Recognize Me? from Winona J on Vimeo.
Do I Recognize Me? (2020) is a video that explores online presence in coincidence with social media and how it affects one's perception of self. This video collage of filtered and distorted videos of the artist attempts to negotiate the relationship between the digital self and the real self. Sound clips are taken from different media that speak about a skewed sense of self perception in order to fully investigate the cultural roots of this phenomenon. Through combining these remixes of sound with remixes of self, the artist intends to confront the audience with a self that exists outside of her real self.
This video piece slowly progresses through different stages, starting with several undistorted, unedited videos of the artist that show her how she seemingly is in reality. As it continues, the videos of the artist become more and more filtered and distorted until they don’t truly have qualities or features of the artist at all. As this is happening it becomes apparent that an all-embracing image of a figure is hidden within the many collaged clips. Throughout the video this encompassing figure slowly touches their face and tilts their head in order to examine their face. As the video comes to an end another clip of the artist walks towards the camera, exposing the underlying figure as the artist herself. In the final scene, the audience is faced with the unedited raw footage of the artist shutting off the camera. As the audience is disillusioned and faced with the meta qualities that the raw footage implies at the end of the video, questions emerge surrounding the reality in which the self exists. One may find that the raw footage in comparison to the distortions of the social media filters shows a real version of the artist instead of a distorted one. Yet, in reality, this image is no different than the distorted images. This is not actually the artist, only a representation of the artist through the mode of film. While the ending seemingly breaks the fourth wall of the video, it is still only what the artist has allowed the audience to see. Thus the viewer is faced with the reality of digital presence and curated self image. The ideas within this video piece are based on Jean Baudrillard’s theorization of simulations as well as Lee Humphreys writings on media accounting and qualifying the self. Online presence allows us to proceed in the othering of the self. As Humphreys explains,
“A person engages in media accounting as a subject and an object. A person engages in media accounting as a subject — that is, as a creator of traces — but also experiences oneself as an object through media accounting by seeing oneself in the traces created by oneself or others.” (Humphreys, 19-20)
As this creation of an object occurs from the subject, the othering of the self occurs. As the subject becomes an object, it becomes less of a representation and more of a simulation, which is where Baudrillard’s theories come into play. Overall, this piece signifies a distance between the digital self and the real physical self, which brings about questions of the role that a separate digital self plays in our perception of self.
Baudrillard, Jean. Simulations. New York City: Semiotext(e), Inc., 1983.
Humphreys, Lee. The Qualified Self. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2018.
“Simulacra and Simulations”. Philosophize This!. Podcast audio, October 25th, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgoKIT0Ufc.
This video piece slowly progresses through different stages, starting with several undistorted, unedited videos of the artist that show her how she seemingly is in reality. As it continues, the videos of the artist become more and more filtered and distorted until they don’t truly have qualities or features of the artist at all. As this is happening it becomes apparent that an all-embracing image of a figure is hidden within the many collaged clips. Throughout the video this encompassing figure slowly touches their face and tilts their head in order to examine their face. As the video comes to an end another clip of the artist walks towards the camera, exposing the underlying figure as the artist herself. In the final scene, the audience is faced with the unedited raw footage of the artist shutting off the camera. As the audience is disillusioned and faced with the meta qualities that the raw footage implies at the end of the video, questions emerge surrounding the reality in which the self exists. One may find that the raw footage in comparison to the distortions of the social media filters shows a real version of the artist instead of a distorted one. Yet, in reality, this image is no different than the distorted images. This is not actually the artist, only a representation of the artist through the mode of film. While the ending seemingly breaks the fourth wall of the video, it is still only what the artist has allowed the audience to see. Thus the viewer is faced with the reality of digital presence and curated self image. The ideas within this video piece are based on Jean Baudrillard’s theorization of simulations as well as Lee Humphreys writings on media accounting and qualifying the self. Online presence allows us to proceed in the othering of the self. As Humphreys explains,
“A person engages in media accounting as a subject and an object. A person engages in media accounting as a subject — that is, as a creator of traces — but also experiences oneself as an object through media accounting by seeing oneself in the traces created by oneself or others.” (Humphreys, 19-20)
As this creation of an object occurs from the subject, the othering of the self occurs. As the subject becomes an object, it becomes less of a representation and more of a simulation, which is where Baudrillard’s theories come into play. Overall, this piece signifies a distance between the digital self and the real physical self, which brings about questions of the role that a separate digital self plays in our perception of self.
Baudrillard, Jean. Simulations. New York City: Semiotext(e), Inc., 1983.
Humphreys, Lee. The Qualified Self. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2018.
“Simulacra and Simulations”. Philosophize This!. Podcast audio, October 25th, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgoKIT0Ufc.