Josh Kline
it's clean, it's natural, we promise., 2011
"A few years ago my collaborators Jon Santos and Anicka Yi were both obsessed with this idea …
Josh Kline makes work and curates exhibitions centered around his concerns with the way technological innovations impact humans. In his words, “For me, it’s about technology changing what it means to be human. There’s a self-actualization aspect to it that’s potentially positive, but I mostly associate it with the relentless push to squeeze more productivity out of workers—turning people into reliable, always-on, office appliances.” His sculptures, installations, and videos are rife with body parts, pharmaceuticals, and sanitizing products, as well as references to politics, labor, and health and hygiene. In an installation titled Nine to Five, Eight to Four, Seven to Three (2015), he presented janitor carts piled with 3D-printed, disembodied human heads, feet, and hands, alongside cleaning products. Among Kline’s more visceral works is ThinkStrong (2013), a pouch of blood laced with the antidepressant Wellbutrin.
"A few years ago my collaborators Jon Santos and Anicka Yi were both obsessed with this idea of water bottles leaching plastic while sitting in hot trucks in the sun. They thought we all needed to get glass or metal water bottles and start drinking tap water because bottled water was full of toxic plastic …
Josh Kline makes work and curates exhibitions centered around his concerns with the way technological innovations impact humans. In his words, “For me, it’s about technology changing what it means to be human. There’s a self-actualization aspect to it that’s potentially positive, but I mostly associate it with the relentless push to squeeze more productivity out of workers—turning people into reliable, always-on, office appliances.” His sculptures, installations, and videos are rife with body parts, pharmaceuticals, and sanitizing products, as well as references to politics, labor, and health and hygiene. In an installation titled Nine to Five, Eight to Four, Seven to Three (2015), he presented janitor carts piled with 3D-printed, disembodied human heads, feet, and hands, alongside cleaning products. Among Kline’s more visceral works is ThinkStrong (2013), a pouch of blood laced with the antidepressant Wellbutrin.
