ETERNAL VISION
These are the stories of Eternal Vision, a fully autonomous surveillance and electronic warfare system from the near future that long outlives the human advisors who once created it. Each hyper-real diorama depicts a specific moment in the larger timeline. These immersive sculptures are supported by two books, animations, photographs, and a variety of in-world propaganda. Installations of this work can include miniature landscapes, backdrops, video projections, screens with live feeds, and surveillance equipment. This body of work explores the idea of sublime ruinous landscapes that are a result of the many effects of surveillance technology. In addition, it speaks to other topics related to AI, climate change, electronic warfare, survivalism, and posthumanism. This is not the end of the story; there are multiple pieces in progress that further illustrate important moments.
Endless Ocean animation preview 2024
Eternal Vision Text:
Drone 1001
An omnipresent deterrence system reaches beyond the horizon. What was once sold on the utopian ideal of endless peace and security through constant surveillance evolved into a system of total control. The presence of continuous observation forced whoever was left deep into hiding some time long ago. Somewhere in this distant future, echoes of the present begin to emerge from the fragments.
The Last Operator
The landscape is a natural barren wasteland. A near monochromatic world where everything is covered with a fine red dust. Not very different from the countless depictions of the planet Mars in science fiction stories. But this is not the red planet; this is Earth, in a not-so-distant future. Anything green in this place has long since dried out to dust and blown away. Here we find the last of the human advisors to the Eternal Vision drones, looking out over an all too familiar landscape. Just ahead is an old communications relay post. The operator sends the drone out ahead to get an advanced look at the area. Machine Vision reveals all, transmitted directly to the operator's AR (augmented reality) goggles from an encrypted link to the drone. Human vision, augmented by the electro-optical sensors of the drone in real time. Day or night, the night vision and thermal imaging of this system are extremely accurate.
These posts were once a symbol of the total surveillance state that prevailed during the end times. As part of a global deterrence system, these stations monitored all of the communications in the surrounding area. Now they are simple time capsules, waiting to be found. Most of the time, they have been completely picked over by scavengers long ago. But this post somehow looks untouched. Is it possible that any of these systems still work? What will be gleaned from the remnants of a civilization lost?
Endless Ocean
It started slowly with flooding all over the world…
The storms got more intense, and it seemed to rain all the time.
Eventually, the oceans everywhere began to rise rapidly.
Almost everything is submerged as the water continues to rise.
Now the ocean extends continuously in every direction.
Eternal Vision Part I Book
Global Deterrence Systems (Eternal Vision emblem), Engraving in copper with etching and aquatint, 12×12 inches, 2025