Hyper Distraction by Caitlyn Doran

Today, it feels like everything demands our attention, but nothing wants us to focus. 

Simultaneous viewing options are ever-present. With digital tabs, reels, files, and posts, visuals from vastly disparate sources often share the same time and space. Contrasting cultures, eras, modes of expression, and more collide and crowd atop each other before our eyes every day. The possible combinations are endless, and there is a magical quality in that, but all these things constantly vying to be noticed can also feel universally overwhelming, even paralyzing. 

In an era inundated with distractions, this body of work examines the complex interplay between multitasking and attention. Through meticulous graphite drawings, Doran captures the fragmented nature of modern life, being pulled in both digital and physical realms. 

These tactile representations are hand-rendered based on digital collages of personal and appropriated imagery, which are found from professional photography books from different countries & eras. 

These choices reflect the tension between our divided focus and the depth we yearn for in a singular moment, unraveling the beauty and chaos of simultaneous engagements, prompting viewers to question the true cost of divided attention in an interconnected world.

Caitlyn Doran received her BFA in Drawing from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, a Master’s Research Certificate from Kanazawa College of Art in Japan & a MFA from Columbia College of Chicago.

Collector Information: Full Show Catalog- for pricing & availability, please email the gallery at artdesk@veryseriousgallery.com or fill out the form below.