Black Boxes and God-Tricks: an Account of Using Medical Imaging Systems to Photograph Consciousness in the Context of a Digital Arts Practice

Abstract

Throughout the Spring and Summer of 2011 I attempted to photograph my own ”˜consciousness.’ My reasons for engaging in this research stem from a long-term interest in the limits of representation, a research process that began with pragmatic attempts to represent my own missing memories. Using sensory technologies and software I developed for the purpose of streaming live EEG readings into digital images I extended my research to incorporate the imaging of consciousness. The imaging systems I have developed and their implications will be explored here.