Denise Wakeman

My work explores the tenuous mind-body connection through the use of bodily and technological imagery. I am interested in exploring our sense of embodied self and internal psychological processes/experiences regarding self- hood, consciousness, and the interplay between self and the external world. This exploration involves breaking down, or picking apart, of different aspects of our inner life, our connection to body, and how technology can act as a mirror to illuminate some of these processes. In breaking down the elements of our embodied experience, I pose questions about how we can/will change fundamental aspects of being human through technological mediation.

The work itself often references the body, the point of contact between one’s interior space and the physical realm; a kind of psychic vessel that responds to the pressures of each. I create immersive installations that operate in the physical and digital realm often both simultaneously. Through the use of wide-ranging media and I encourage the viewer to enter into a dialog with themselves, raising questions about their embodied identity.

Bio

Denise Wakeman is an interdisciplinary artist originally from Memphis, TN that currently lives and works in rural NY. Wakeman received her BFA from University of Memphis with honors in 2018 and is currently pursuing her MFA at Alfred University. She has exhibited regionally in both the South and Northeast, has worked as a ceramic studio assistant, a sculpture teaching assistant, and has received awards from institutions such as The Metal Museum. Wakeman is deeply interested in psychological phenomena, technology, metaphysics, and the body. She views her work as a way of processing and understanding the complex relationships between our inner world and external reality. She also enjoys campy horror flicks, anything sci-fi related, and roller-skating.