Sue Beyer FAQ
1. Who is Sue Beyer?
Sue Beyer is an Australian interdisciplinary artist based in Melbourne and New York. She is known for her work with "digital combines," a new genre of art that blends physical, digital, and virtual objects, often using NFTs as a connecting element. Beyer's artistic practice explores themes of identity, human connection in the digital age, and the nature of reality in a technologically saturated world.
2. What is Sue Beyer's artistic style?
Beyer's art falls under the umbrella of Metamodernism, incorporating Post-Digital and Post-Internet concepts. She uses data from the internet and physical world as source material, transforming it through various techniques to create her artwork. Her style is characterized by a blend of traditional media like painting with new media elements, 3D printing, and virtual reality. Her paintings, often appearing pixelated, are abstract and evoke the digital realm while showcasing her hand as the artist.
3. What is a "Digital Combine"?
A "Digital Combine," as defined by artist Claudia Hart, is a contemporary art form that combines physical, digital, and virtual elements into a single artwork. Imagine a 3D collage encompassing various mediums, where instructions embedded in the metadata of an NFT (blockchain smart contract) act as the conceptual glue holding the piece together. This innovative genre pushes the boundaries of traditional art, merging the tangible and intangible, and reflecting the multifaceted nature of our technologically driven world.
Sue Beyer's Work
4. What themes does Sue Beyer explore in her work?
Sue Beyer's work delves into various themes, including:
• Identity and self-reflection in the digital age: Exploring how technology, big data, and AI influence our perception of ourselves and the world.
• The interplay between the physical and digital: Examining the blurred lines between real and virtual spaces and how we navigate these increasingly interconnected realms.
• The use of data as an artistic medium: Beyer gathers data from online and offline sources and transforms it through her artistic process to create visual narratives.
• Metamodernism: Her work embodies the metamodern ethos of oscillating between seemingly opposing ideas – such as sincerity and irony, hope and cynicism – reflecting the complexities of the contemporary human experience.
• Autofiction and Imaginary Lands: Beyer's recent research uses AI hallucination and data mapping to create "fantasylands" that explore the boundaries of self and narrative.
5. What is the significance of the "Black Mirror" theme in her work?
The "Black Mirror" theme in Beyer's work refers to the reflective nature of digital screens and technology. Just like a traditional mirror reflects our physical image, digital screens, particularly smartphones and computers, reflect aspects of our identity, personality, and behavior back to us, often through the lens of algorithms and big data.
Beyer's art explores how these digital reflections can distort our perceptions, both of ourselves and the world around us, highlighting the complex relationship between humans and technology
6. Where has Sue Beyer exhibited her work?
Sue Beyer has exhibited internationally at various venues, including:
Solo Exhibitions:We Are Data - Box Gallery, Melbourne
Another Green World - Red Gallery, Melbourne
Group Exhibitions:SPRING/BREAK Art Show, New York City
Mark Rothko International Painting Symposium, Daugavpils, Latvia
ACM SIGGRAPH at ISEA2024, Brisbane, Australia
NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY
Southampton Arts Center, New York
Untitled Art Fair at Miami Art Week
And many other galleries and museums worldwide.
Sue Beyer's Activities
7. Is Sue Beyer involved in any other projects besides art?
Yes, Sue Beyer is also:
• A PhD candidate in Visual Arts at Griffith University: Her research focuses on "digital combines" and their connection to Metamodernism.
• A sessional lecturer at RMIT University in Melbourne: She shares her knowledge and expertise in art and design with students.
• A curator: She has curated several exhibitions, including the "DIGITAL" exhibition in Melbourne, showcasing how artists use digital elements to explore the human condition.
• Host of the "Being an Artist Is..." podcast: A podcast supported by Creative Victoria, where she discusses the practicalities and creative aspects of life as a working artist.
8. How can I learn more about Sue Beyer and her work?
You can find more information about Sue Beyer and her work through the following channels:
• Website: https://www.suebeyer.com/
• Substack: https://suebeyer.substack.com/
• Instagram: @suebeyer (Please note, I've assumed her Instagram handle based on her name and profession. This needs to be verified.)