The Role of Mass Media and Its Influence on Self and Identity of the Media Consumer Depicted in Tony Ourslerís New Media Art

Abstract

This article aims to study the role of mass media and its influence on media consumerís self and identity through the artworks of Tony Oursler, an American multimedia artist, focusing on some of his works in 3 exhibitions, “template/ variant/friend/stranger”, “Priv%te” and “pU#\*c”, in which the artist embeded particular visual elements referring to the visible output generated by the facial recognition systemís algorithm as a main component of the creative processes. Using sociological idea and psychoanalysis concept of Jacques Lacan as a theoretical framework, the comprehension about relationship between information technology evolution and the inconstancy of self and identity portrayed via Ourslerís artworks, is elucidated.