Statement / Bio
Jared Christopher Kelley's work explores the complexities of the mind's eye, memory, and the evolving nature of reality as technology reshapes our perception. Drawing on personal experiences and academic investigations, Kelley challenges the notion of memory as an objective record, and the boundaries between real and simulated realities. Through his multimedia works 'Between-2-Points', 'Open, Conjure, Pray', and 'Nikolai, Charles, Raymond, Kenton', he invites viewers to engage with resonating cybernetic structures that transcend language and symbolism, allowing new meanings to emerge between participant and creator. As Kelley navigates the implications of deepfake technology, GPT-3's capabilities, and the current crisis of hyperreality, his work confronts the ever-blurring lines between the real and the unreal.
Kelley is an artist who engages with the intersection of physical and virtual spaces through sculptures and screen-based media. He uses his art to explore "between-spaces" - spaces that exist between the physical and narrative realms. His art investigates the ways in which historic and contemporary psychological and sociological factors shape our personal construction and understanding of reality, and how this impacts our sense of connection and belonging.
Kelley received his BA and MFA in New Media from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has performed and exhibited work in multiple galleries and museums in Atlanta and Chicago, including the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Roman Susan, and Gallery 400; and internationally in Australia, South Korea, and Spain at the Espronceda Institute of Art and Ars Electronica Barcelona, and in 2022 at ISEA.