Evolution has designed a simplified interface through which we perceive reality, the criteria being to understand reality not fully but just sufficiently to survive, procreate and raise our offspring. There is no better example of this than the male Jewel Beetle, which frequently attempts to mate with a beer bottle in preference to a female. The Beetles' 'interface' is perennially searching for a glossy, golden and dimpled partner, criteria met perfectly by this particular vessel. A consequence of this perception failure has been to damage reproduction rates and put the survival of the species in jeopardy.

Although humans have more sophisticated perception, we are still prone to misdirection and therefore vulnerable to manipulation. This is something that has been exploited for centuries by religious iconography, political propaganda and advertising. Digital technology takes the misdirection to new realms, with slick, shiny smartphones that provide a new porthole into a world of artfully manipulative content.

Collector reward

The first collector of the NFT will receive:

Cantharidin

Unique C-Type Print

2022

60 X 33.3cm (23.6" X 13.1")

Signed by the Artist

• This artwork is one of numerous works I've created that attempts to deal with our increasing immersion in digital technology. Like most people I benefit from and get a lot of fun out of digital media but there are consequences. Technology companies are progressively more pernicious in their utilisation of new devices and their associated software. The weaponisation of information, data harvesting, dark ops, cybots, deep fakes, online bullying are just a few of the malign manifestations of this new media. This is coupled with ever mores sophisticated algorithms that are designed to monitor and understand us before hijacking our psychological vulnerabilities. The artworks I make strive to deal with the beauty and sophistication of new media laced with a certain apprehension of where it may be taking us.