h+ Gallery » Electra Zoe

Electra Zoe

Artist's Profile

Electra Zoe Karamargin | profile on The Saatchi Gallery

Preferred Media: Clay
Software Used: Adobe Photoshop
Training and Education: "Mostly self-taught but in my down time I earned a BFA at the University of Arizona."

Q&A

(Interview conducted via email in January 2008.)

Richard Leis (RL), for h+ Gallery: How did you get started in your artistic passions?

Electra Zoe (EZ): Boredom has fueled many of my creations and that began in Montessori school.

RL: Any influences?

EZ: The world around me and systems inside me.

RL: Full time artist or do you have a day job too?

EZ: I work for the CIA during the day: The Culinary Institute of America...lol...J/K.

RL: Do you consider yourself a transhumanist (H+) artist?

EZ: Yes.

RL: I guess that would also suggest the following: do you consider yourself a transhumanist, or any other particular category of belief?

EZ: I do.

RL: I find your work "Living Long Enough to Live Forever" to be challenging because it is both beautiful and kind of scary, but in a way that suggests the future is just that: beautiful and kind of scary. What was your own thought process in creating this work and do you have your own particular interpretation? Are you personally interested in mind uploading? What other technologies do you follow? What other technologies are you interested in exploring with your sculpturing?

EZ: I think the mystery of what the future has in store for humanity can at times be frightening but also very intriguing. Could our universe collide with another 5 billion years from now? Who knows? Perhaps. Stay tuned...Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel...

We have come so far in the fields of science and technology. The world has changed so much since my grandmother was a child. Which pushed me to inquire:

What will the world be like when I reach my mid 70s?
Will my mind have to combat my body in the struggle to survive?
Will my body deteriorate before my mind or vice versa?
What can be done to combat cell necrosis, disease, mental illness, aging, and death?
What avenues of technology and science could bring about longevity, health, happiness, and wellness?

I think mind uploading would be a great defense against loosing one’s body to the forces of evil. However, it also poses the question:

Is there truly a way to separate the mind from the body whilst keeping it a viable entity?
What happens when my mind goes before my body? Mind uploading would be a frivolous act if there is no way to reverse the evils of mental illness.

In the process of creating most of my works I usually begin with a question or two and then expand upon them through a type of sculptural realization of thought.

Seeing is believing, even if it is simply a model for creation.

Please stay tuned for future projects...I really don’t like letting the cat outta the bag before its done.

RL: You created a really fun parody with "I'm Lovin' It! Nano Size Me". Could you explain a little about the genesis of this work?

EZ: Well the photographic portion piece was actually done as part of a visual narrative series illustrating the evolution from human to post-human. It is a self-portrait of sorts. I enhanced round about photos with a dash of photoshop magic/painting. The originals were printed on a metallic paper for extra luminescence and PoP! For the parody, I simply allocated one of the photos in the series and slapped on a revised version of a Pop Culture slogan from one of our nation’s greatest economic powerhouses...Mickey Dees.

In the 80s it was all about going BIG! Big boomboxes, big cell phones, big shoulder pads, and big meal sizes. It is funny how aesthetics in technology have changed so greatly since that time. I think it is all leading up to a convergence between man and machine.

RL: What do you hope for in the future, both personally, artistically and globally?

EZ: I really don’t like to be too hopeful because that can always lead to disappointment...Personally I like to actively engage in changing my future.

RL: Where can we go to keep up with your latest activities, shows and exhibits?