High (Art) Tech

Art has embraced digital technology more and more in the past 20 years in many new and inventive ways. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t still something to be said for handcrafted art done the old-fashioned way: I have an friend that creates the most complex and interesting pieces via knitting. But while blending folk art with abstract ideas is an interesting medium, we all know that the world has gone high-tech—hell, most of us read the newspaper online. It’s only natural that art would reflect the complexities of life in the digital age, and it’s that theme that floats throughout the work of Kristin Lucas. Lucas places portraits of herself in the digital medium, layering graphics that are sometimes quirky, sometimes disturbing over her image. Lucas is well-known in the art world for her digital works, involving video installations, high-tech animation projects and abstract lightbox installations. Recent pieces show Lucas as almost disembodied, disenfranchised and alienated from a world where interaction is less human and more digital. It’s quite a rumination on modern society as a whole, and it’s a great opportunity to examine your relationship with technology. Lucas’ exhibition opens Saturday at the And/Or Gallery, 4221 Bryan St., Suite B, with a reception from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Denton’s MOM, a band whose perfect electronic collisions make the ideal soundtrack for Lucas’ work, will perform. Visit andorgallery.com.
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays. Starts: Feb. 2. Continues through March 1, 2008