With the adoption of automation, the separation between digital and physical has become less apparent. Through algorithm-based data analysis, the information gathered by digital devices can portray facts and truths that aren’t necessarily perceptible to the senses. In Cultivation in Abatement, I explored a process that both embraces and rejects the inescapable reliance on digital technology. I began by embracing the role of the data processor, observing the body language of people moving through public spaces. I encapsulated their tendencies in a series of choreographed movements, transcoded to animation through motion capture sensors. By recreating their movements through my performance. The result is a work that strikes a balance between the empathy of human observation and the actuality of machine analysis.

BY  Joe Hambleton (CA)


Joe Hambleton currently lives in Toronto, where he teaches Digital Media and Art at York University, OCAD University, Centennial College, Toronto School of Art, and the Liaison of Independent Film and Television. He is a graduate of the University of Windsor (BFA in Visual Arts) and York University (MFA in Visual Arts). His work has been shown across North America, Europe, and Asia. He is represented by the Pari Nadimi Gallery.