The Simulated Universe

The Simulated Universe Traditionally considered to be a medium of truth, photography’s verisimilitude has historically been leveraged to represent the world as perceived by the human eye. However, if photographs can lie, then so can our brains. In this presentation, I discuss my Between the Here and Now series that represents a simulated universe. These altered photographs are supported by French poet Jean Baudrillard’s Simulation and Simulacra, in which he theorizes that society’s oversaturation of symbols has reduced the human experience to a simulation of reality. In a simulacrum, reality itself is revealed to be a human construct. Similarly, by intervening in the landscape, I illustrate the fallibility of representation and the possibilities that lie beyond the veil of human perception. The saturated colors and natural beauty are countered by an uneasy feeling of artificiality. I build alternate universes to seduce viewers while challenging their trust in their senses.