On what grounds do we believe that we understand one another?
We use the same words, share the same experiences, and often assume that we feel the same emotions. But how much do we really know about the countless memories, experiences, and feelings that shape another person? We may hear the same words yet arrive at different meanings, witness the same scene yet retain different memories, and attach entirely different emotions to the same word. Even so, we often believe that we understand each other.
I am interested in this belief. Despite the complexity and subtlety involved in communicating and understanding emotions, we tend to reduce them to a single meaning and assume they have been understood. My work focuses on precisely this point.
Morse code, lenticular imagery, voice waveforms, and light function as devices through which I explore these questions. Through a variety of media, I visualize moments in which emotions and meanings are transmitted and interpreted, as well as the differences and gaps that emerge in the process.
My work is not concerned with the success or failure of communication. Rather, it invites viewers to reconsider moments of understanding and empathy that are often taken for granted. As emotions and meanings move between people, I continue to question what leads us to believe that we have understood one another, and where that belief originates.