Untitled 7, 2014

Arslan Sükan  

Untitled 7, 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 3 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 mesmerizing artwork presents a cosmic spectacle, capturing the awe-inspiring mystery of a swirling black hole. At its core lies an intense, dark void, drawing attention and evoking a sense of infinite depth. Surrounding it are dynamic, sweeping strokes of light and color, ranging from deep blues to warm browns, creating a sense of motion and energy. The interplay of light against the stark darkness adds an intense contrast, amplifying the sense of otherworldliness. The texture appears almost tactile, as if the viewer could reach out and touch the swirling spiral of galactic dust. This piece uniquely blends abstract expression and cosmic imagery, inviting viewers into a contemplative exploration of the universe's mysteries. Its striking composition and vivid contrasts make it an unforgettable visual experience, drawing the observer into the heart of the cosmos.