parker hu | about the project | artist statement | e-mail | writings
about the project
My senior thesis, "I need you" is a body of work drawing attention to our relationships with people, the way we affect each other, and specifically the ethical decision making that arises in these kinds of circumstances.
Working in a chain-restaurant, a waitress may throw away pounds of uneaten food and go home, telling a friend that she's tired and starving to death. Or perhaps you let one comedic racist remark slip, only to find the offended party as your audience. Maybe one will see a tear-jerking commercial for a non-profit organization on television, but only react with a moment's pause. Everyday we are confronted with situations that initially seem innocent or harmless, but reveal a great imbalance of equitable treatment.
To realize this as a reality for so many people in this world can be an uncomfortable concept, but I believe artists have a responsibility to question our own awareness and personal decisions in the face of difficult or awkward circumstances.
Some questions that I would address:
How do we react in the moment of confrontation?
What are the decisions that we instinctively make and why?
Why should we care about others?
How should we react to suffering?
Through video and interactive installations, sound art, printed matter, writings or whatever other mediums of presentation that may be appropriate, I aim to engage viewers with social and ethical dilemmas, creating hypothetical situations that provoke response and reaction.
This project is a part of the University Scholars Program and Media Arts Department at the University of Hartford. Over the next few months, work will continue to be added and documented on this website. The full USP Proposal and schedule can be viewed here. [Full-Text PDF]