Karen Finzel
‘Material Bias Trending’
3D mixed medium on fabric.
2020.
International Women's Day 2022 theme "Break the Bias" inspired the work exploring the influence of bias in contemporary culture.
The composition is constructed with text for informing and evoking emotions anticipating the viewer would take a moment to engage physically with the work and leave their own mark.
The bottom of the bias (strips of fabric) has weights hand stitched into the bottom of each one.
The work is designed to hang flush against the wall at the top and the bottom can be sculpted at take on a 3D effect
The idea is to see between the strips creating an open space giving hope towards the future where bias is broken and we are free to envision a new narrative where equity, respect and non-discrimination is the daily reality.
Initially the design was to have a much larger price to include more strips of bias hanging from the ceiling of a gallery with people being free to walk between the open spaces where the bias is broken engaging the viewer to literally walk the path to a new future creating a narrative of inclusiveness and equity for all.
A central theme of my work is engaging response from the viewer in tangible ways to evoke a response
Which has the capacity to elicit new ways of thinking and being......in this case breaking conscious or unconscious bias in the mind of the viewer