Untitled 13, 2014

Arslan Sükan  

Untitled 13, 2014 by Arslan Sükan From the series of While You Are Surfing Inkjet print on fine art paper Size: 150 cm. H x 100 cm. W Edition 1 of 5 + 1AP Unframed.  Additional sizes and prints are available.

 The physical gestures that make up our interactions with touch-screen personal devices are intensely intimate, yet abstract signatures of our everyday browsing and messaging patterns. In his ‘While you are surfing’ photographic series, Arslan Sukan scans the surfaces of smartphones and manipulates the resulting images in Photoshop to isolate and enhance the fingerprints, dust, and cracks marking the screens. Sukan separates the intimate swipes and taps of screen navigation from any digital content, enlarging the marks to form anonymous and abstract landscapes. Printed on highly reflective metallic paper using an inkjet printer, each piece mirrors the context of its place of display, transforming the physical world and the body of the viewer into virtual content for the image surface. But, unlike fingers on a screen, the reflections leave no physical trace on their object. With ‘While you are surfing’, Sukan questions whether our experiences with the digital world, which are mediated through a screen, are any less immediate or complete than our encounters with experiences in the physical world. ‘While you are surfing’ continues Sukan’s engagement with the role of artifice in presenting the real. Through a process that moves from the physical world to digital and back again, his work dissolves distinctions between matter and thought, gesture and image. This ongoing translation of material from one media format into other challenges viewer expectations at every turn.

This striking artwork presents a captivating interplay of light and shadow on a dark canvas, evoking a sense of mystery and depth. The composition features a swirling array of iridescent lines and shapes that seem to float across the surface, reminiscent of celestial bodies or ethereal landscapes. The artist skillfully employs a palette dominated by deep blues and greens, intertwined with subtle hints of white and hints of red, creating an effect that is both dynamic and tranquil. The texture is noticeably intricate, drawing the viewer's eye to its elaborate patterns, which echo the complexity of natural phenomena. This piece masterfully balances chaos and harmony, inviting introspection and repeated viewing. Its unique combination of abstraction and fluidity makes it a distinguished and thought-provoking work of art.