What is a Stranger?, 2014
Steel mesh, plaster, mirror, paint
60 x 60 x 80”

This piece explores the idea of what another person is to us in our present time. We are always surrounded by strangers in our daily lives, but we never think of them as a “complete human being”. We see only their outward appearances, and we ignore the intrinsic human qualities in them. The word “stranger” creates the image of a person who you view almost as an object. The stranger’s appearances tell you that he/she must be a human being, but all other information about the person are withheld from you.

This piece requires two participants to put their head in the hood, and place one of their hands in the pocket below. By having two people observe a segment of each other, I allude to the act of voyeurism, an act that puts the viewer at a safe secluded space to observe the viewed in an impersonal way. This creates a sense of detachment, which is simultaneously counteracted by having the two participants feel each other’s physical presence. By creating this odd sense of connection and detachment, I question the idea of a stranger, or a fellow human being, in our contemporary society.