Online (Dis)connect

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• Gina Lineberger
• Elizabeth Preble
• Marnie Erpestad

Like it or not, the internet is embedded in the way that we live our day-to-day lives. Most of us use it at work (be it for professional reasons or not), and it's an integral part of most people's social lives, from catching up with old friends and family in faraway places, to inviting your neighbor out for a beer. So what exactly does this mean? How does this affect real-world interactions? Are there differences between our online behavior and who we are when we aren't communicating through technology? These are questions that will be explored in the latest group show at Altered Esthetics, "Online (Dis)connect." Elizabeth Preble's painting of a cluttered intersection of items seems to suggest sensory overload, while Dane Cree's emaciated bodies oozing liquid on someone below speaks to bullying and the hive mindset that sometimes occurs when we hide behind anonymity. Marnie Erpestad's photography, which features a bare chest covered in binary code, comments on absurdity that online interaction could ever replace human connection and reality. Regardless of how you feel about new technology and social media, this show will spark discussion—hopefully in the "real world." The opening reception is from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, February 4. There will also be an artists' discussion panel 1 p.m. Saturday, February 19. (Gina Lineberger)
Feb. 3-24, 2011