This computer graphic artwork is Skyler’s visual meditation on the multifaceted nature of work in the contemporary era - the relentless drive for productivity, the tangible rewards that are a chance to strike it rich, and the personal, psychological toll it can take on the individual. It encourages the viewer to reflect on their own relationship to their work and the complex web of factors that shape the experience of labor in the modern world.
The small scale objects in the landscape might then be seen as stand-ins for the individual worker, dwarfed by the scale and complexity of the systems they operate within and outside the company. The frenetic, relentless pace of work and productivity in the modern world. The swirling, turbulent vortex above reflects the sense of constant motion, pressure, and overwhelming forces that many experience in their professional lives.
The personal experience of modern work is the sense of being swept up in forces larger than oneself, of struggling to maintain balance and control amidst the chaos.
In this reading, the title "above and below work" speaks to the dichotomy between the visible, outward manifestations of our work day with the long term impact on our mental and emotional health. The "above" elements are the sudden storms, the seasons of work crisis or problems represented by the turmoil of the tornado suddenly touching down and then dissipating versus the hidden, lingering internal circumstances and emotions modern work can evoke.
These hidden "below" elements are symbolized by an oil rig leaking oil and, ironically, a pick up truck empty of gasoline stuck nearby in a desert landscape. Desperation doesn’t need to be the outcome of a modern occupation and yet it often is.
