We Are The Cyborgs Amongst Us

The theme of cybernetics is becoming increasingly prominent for me: the integration of the human body and psyche with human-designed mechanical and electronic technology. It seems that this phenomenon, previously consigned to the imaginations of either the notably technophilic or notably technophobic, is becoming a reality.

When I ride on public transit, here in Toronto, I observe about a quarter of the people around me have their ears connected to some sort of electronic device, feeding them with signals designed to stimulate emotional and intellectual responses unrelated to their immediate surroundings. Another quarter at least of these fellow passengers find respite from the tediums of tangibility in the disembodied world of cell phones, PDA’s and other forms of personal electronics.

I find this phenomenon, in which humanity thus becomes simultaneously disengaged from the environment and people around them and engaged with a realm both more personal and more universal, to be extremely disquieting. Through the media of these increasingly omnipresent technologies, people both retreat within, and escape to an apparently larger reality. Technologies like Bluetooth microphones, permanently latched onto people’s heads, and ear buds permanently installed in people’s ears, in conjunction with mechanical prosthetics, are finally making good on the century old prophecies of science fiction – we are indeed becoming cyborgs.

The images included here are three photographs of a small sculpture I made to start to address this theme. Cybernetics is really interesting to me as a concept. I have a number of projects on the go dealing with our increasingly bodily connection with technology.