American Artist

American Artist explores topics including histories of technology, state violence, and speculative fiction. In 2013, they legally changed their name, an act that is foundational to their practice. Their name change made it so they became virtually anonymous and not able to be Googled or found easily via online search engines. In doing so, they questioned the very nature of what it means to be an “American artist” and what that title may insinuate in terms of race.

A notable work of theirs, Security Theater (2023) is a site specific installation that debuted in the exhibition, Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility. The 360° security camera sat at the center of the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda, mirroring the format of a panopticon. Visitors were invited to surrender their phones while viewing the exhibition and were given access to a private room where they could watch the live footage of the galleries.

Security Theater is an exercise in the uncertainty that comes with suspending your own vision and the eerie privilege of watching others when they don’t know they are being watched. Listen to the museum’s audio guide for the artwork on SoundCloud.