Romantic Algorithms

Our world is plugged in and wired in a way that is almost all consuming. From our business practices to our social engagements, we are device dependent. Relationships have shifted to become an intersection between human intimacy and digital entanglement. Figures are engaged in moments of tenderness, yet tangled—literally and metaphorically—in cords, cables, and components of our increasingly wired lives.

Algorithms are now indirectly and directly influencing our lives and for those who are single or searching for love, they can play a major role in influencing how their relationships evolve. At least 50 percent of people who are now romantically engaged in a relationship met through some form of online service, whether it be a traditional dating site or a third-party website that uses the existing data and network of individuals, along with algorithms to suggest a potential match.

Through a combination of traditional painting and discarded technological materials, this series challenges the boundaries between emotional connection and mechanical interaction. I have juxtaposed organic forms with the cold geometry of tech waste, reflecting how love, identity, and communication are shaped—and sometimes constrained— by the digital age. Are we truly connected, or merely plugged in? Are we the benefactors or victims of “Romantic Algorithms?” Are the algorithms using our data and info to connect the future of love or are these algorithms more nefariously pushing us away from the organic nature of human interaction.