sester.net | Working process

Having the good fortune to have travelled throughout the world, I have contacts in many different fields, based in many different places. After refining a concept to the point I feel strongly about it, I then find the experts who can assist me in developing the technology for the work. Given the highly technical nature of the tools used in my work, if I were to try to learn them all, I wouldn't have any time left to create. However, I do learn enough to dialogue with the specialists on details. Working with teams around the world is not so different from being an architect or film director, but it does have its challenges.

Without the help of these developers, my work would not exist as it is. Tell me the Truth (2009) is a fine example of this. In the process of working on the piece, the software designers in Sante Fe have created new open source tools, while working on the project. While this is a significant investment of their time, they are not only creating the technology for the piece, but also opening new avenues of investigation for others.

While I rely on these specialists to help me execute the technical aspects of my work, I spend a massive amount of time researching. The process of collecting the imagery for BE[AM] (2004-08) and Threatbox.us (2005-07) took over a year. Libraries, books, and museums are all very important tools. My research is supplemented through meetings with scholars, organizations and companies whose knowledge helps provide a holistic view. The content that forms the foundation of my works already exists in the real world. I take my research and twist it around. These forms are accurate and real, I am creating my own perversions of this data.

A large part of this research comes when I receive a grant or residency that gives me access I would not normally have. By visiting places that would normally be inaccessible to me, and gaining access to exclusive institutions (like the Los Angeles Police Department in 1997), I can get my hands on direct sources. For my piece L'Architecture du Paradis (2000) I visited some of the cities represented in the work to get a firsthand knowledge of these places. Through these experiences I was able to conceptually strengthen the work.

This process of researching, using references to real world data, and working with different teams has allowed me to work fluidly, deepening my process of questioning with each successive work.

back to Artist Statement