Signal 05 Artwork

In the early days of TV, engineers needed a way to test and calibrate the broadcast signal. This led to the creation of test patterns. They represent what TV once stood for with its limited channels and shared programming. Although they may appear as relics of the past, they mark the foundations of a technology that has led us through black and white to color, television to streaming, internet to AI. I have been exploring test patterns since 2022 in paint, ink, sand, glitter, gravel and found objects. I find them grounding in their symmetry and appreciate the nostalgia that they invoke. Beyond the connection to technology, test patterns also serve as a metaphor for our relationship with the world. As the climate crisis escalates, our limited ability to cooperate is evident. We have lost the ability to gather, watch and discuss shared content, losing the sense of unity and connection that television once provided. My hope is that the vibrancy and playfulness of the test patterns attracts and draws in the viewer to contemplate a time before manipulating algorithms and creates a space for regrounding, regrouping and resetting with our both machines and each other. This piece is part of the no signal series where signal disruption is the name of the game. Materials: ink and paint on Yupo (plastic).