Random Strangers: William Edmonds

Mixed media artist William Edmonds examines anonymity, agendas, role playing & the release of personal information in this digital age through this captivating series of portraits of strangers he met through social media.
Opening reception: Tuesday, April 21st, from 6-8pm

Artist's Statement: "It is my firm belief that contemporary art should take a critical approach to current social and cultural ideas, and in my current body of work I have questioned anonymity and the release of personal information. Images are derived from omegle.com where random strangers are picked for texted conversations. "The Stranger" was then asked to send me their photo with a view to having their image painted. At an early stage of the project it became apparent the strangers also had their own agendas with associated role playing and misrepresentation. Often I suspected the image was not that of the stranger and if an image was sent to me there were often unforeseen conditions and agendas. Initially confidant in my contacts, time has caused me to be wary, suspicious and apprehensive. Consequently I found whatever image is sent to me the resultant "portrait" mirrors my own insecurities, anxieties and fears. More recently I have tended to see these interactions more through "Rose Tinted Spectacles" and the images have become more colorful to reflect this. I have also added scraps of the texts that were sent to me along with the photos to indicate how the original information fragments with the passage of time."