Molly's Merzbau

CONCEPT

Molly’s Merzbau, otherwise known as “ How Cyberculture affects the construction of Identity: the Digital self-portrait in Contemporary Visual Art.“

This practice-led research project was an examination of my position as a female artist who constructs and studies identity through the, at the time, emerging Cyberculture. I used self-portraiture as a lens to explore the possibilities presented by (what was new) networking systems and what impact it could have on the construction and deconstruction of identity.

IDEATION

This project explored how emerging cyberculture (at the time) could potentially reshape identity and self-representation. I focused on the digital self-portrait as both medium and method. Drawing on cyber-feminism and artists such as Ryan Trecartin and Lynn Hershman, my research examined how online spaces enable fluid, performative constructions of self beyond traditional social and physical constraints.

I was interested in how the Internet functions as both mirror and a stage to perform. Where personas are assembled through constant consumption and remixing of cultural imagery. My work questioned authenticity, authorship, and embodiment within networked culture, positioning the digital self-portrait as an evolving archive of identities. Inspired by Trecartin’s “prosumer” logic and Hershman’s fragmented personas, I sought to locate myself within these systems. I wanted to use cyber tools to negotiate self-definition inside an image-saturated world.

The project, Molly’s Merzbau, became an ongoing, web-based installation where each page acted as a dedicated alter to different aspects of myself. The structure was directly inspired by Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbau (1923-1937), what I consider to be one of the greatest lost acheivements of collage. My Merzabu is an extension of my body, voice, and online presence. It examined the tension between freedom and vulnerability in sharing the female form online, while embracing the idea that multiple, shifting identities can all be equally authentic.

The first image is a Still from The Re’Search (Re’Search Wait’S), 2009-2010. Ryan Trecartin. Sourced from Licata, Domenic. 2012. “Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch | Leslie-Lohman Queer Art Lecture Series.” Accessed May 27, 2014 .http://visualstudies.buffalo.edu/2012/03/08/fitch-trecartin-2/

The next image is a Digital Still Image from 24 Hour Roberta. 2009. Lynn Hershman. Sourcedfrom Andrew, Brian. 2010. “Two Anniversaries.” Accessed October 1, 2014. http://www.artpractical.com/review/two_anniversaries/

The final image is one of the only surviving images of the Hannover Merzbau by Kurt Schwitters. The photo was taken by Wilhelm Redemann, 1933. The image was sourced from Thomas, Elizabeth. In search of lost art: Kurt Schwitter’z Merzbau. MoMA. July 9, 2012. https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/07/09/in-search-of-lost-art-kurt-schwitterss-merzbau/

WORKFLOW

This was a practice-led digital collage process, combining self-portrait photography, online image gathering, and experimental web construction.

• Image collection: I sourced visual material from Tumblr, Facebook, and other digital platforms, gathering “signifiers” that resonated with my sense of self and online culture.

• Self-portrait creation: Using my laptop webcam, I produced a series of casual, performative “selfies” that reflected the aesthetic of Internet communities.

• Collage and post-production: These images were remixed in Photoshop and video-editing tools, merging my likeness with digital detritus to produce layered, hyper-mediated portraits.

• Prototype experiments: Early works such as Browser Prints tested presentation formats; this iteration established that the project needed to remain natively online rather than exist as static prints.

• Site development: I built Molly’s Merzbau, an expanding network of interconnected HTML pages, gifs, videos, and live broadcasts. The web, in particular freely available web building tools, became both medium and architecture, encouraging exploration through endless click-throughs.

• Iteration and critique: The work evolved through continuous additions and peer feedback, mirroring prosumer cycles of creation and consumption. Each new page embodied a fresh persona or emotional state, dissolving any hierarchy of authenticity.

Through this evolving workflow, I came to the conclusion that digital identity operates as an open system, always under construction and always multiple, Self-portraiture within cyberculture can function as both personal empowerment and feminist critique. Over the years I have not added to the Merzbau, but have slowly been watching it decay like much of internet history.