H. Jennings
Sheffield

Tethered

Tethered is an ongoing investigation into the tethering effect we experience in our everyday lives.  Tethered is a combination of archival digital prints mounted on panels, video and sound installations.  It communicates this feeling by portraying what a specific period of time looks like, during different days of the week. Using a mathematical formula I created, each print illustrates what a two hour period of time looks like as I balance artist, mother, teacher, wife, and daughter throughout the week. As unique as each two-hour interval is, certain consistencies also run through our scheduled days. The look and feel of a two hour period in the morning versus a two hour period in the afternoon conveys a very different set of characters, circumstances, interactions, responsibilities, and roles.

In comparison to today, past generations whether by choice or not were very segregated -- work and family life rarely converged. However, through technological advances, our lives have become more confused, intermingled, and merged -- thus creating the tethering-effect.

This work is based on images I photographed over a 4 month period of time documenting my life as an artist, mother, teacher, and wife. From these thousands of images, I pulled 4 to 6 images that best represented this two hour period of time (e.g. 2:00pm-4:00pm). Although from the same two hours, the images are taken on different days of the week.  Once selected, I digitally break down those images into vertical slices. I then reintegrate the vertical slices from the chosen 4 to 6 images through a mathematical formula, to create a single, compressed image of time. Each print illustrates what a two hour period of time visually looks like throughout the week.  Once compressed, and as in real life, all the the different events and interactions inevitably merge into a singular life experience.