LIFE as Art: Digital Prints by Arielle Singer

January 2nd – March 20th, 2016

Employing the iconic framework of LIFE magazine’s cover architecture, Union College sophomore, Arielle Singer rehashes key moments in history with digitally altered photographs from the magazine’s pages. She creates visual criticism of both recent events, such as the current refugee crisis and life “since the iPod,” as well as historical episodes deeply embedded in our cultural milieu, such as the dropping of the atomic bombs.

Clever, engaging, and visually appealing, Singer’s work incites contemplation not only of these momentous past and present events, but also of the media industry and perhaps our own tendency to view critical, global happenings without seeking to understand and explore the full implications or effects on our collective future.

Within each piece of this series, the war within ourselves is evaluated as it pertains to the inevitable future. Each work is a combination of images from LIFE magazines printed in the 1960s and pictures taken by myself, allowing for a deeper look into reality. By repurposing these LIFE pictures into covers, new statements are conveyed, different worlds explored. Some pieces allow the viewer to travel back in time to different historical events, while others refer to the surrounding, modern world. This “LIFE as Art” theme gives us all the opportunity to view what life is, was, or could be. 

– Arielle Singer

This exhibition is generously co-sponsored by the Department of Visual Arts, Digital Art.