The Absurdity of Now by Kelly McDermott captures the contradictions and complexities of contemporary existence through a vivid, unfiltered lens. Known for her unique blend of mediums, Kelly engages with themes of digital identity, societal paradox, and environmental collapse, all enveloped in a modern nostalgia for the American Old West. In this latest series, McDermott challenges viewers to confront a world in which truth, progress, and authenticity are repeatedly commodified and packaged for immediate consumption.

The compositions evoke a visual overload, deliberately mirroring the endless barrage of digital notifications and social media feeds that permeate daily life. Yet, beneath this aesthetic allure lies a deep disquiet. McDermott’s imagery pulls viewers into a confrontation with our collective obsession for instantaneous validation, performative care, and the consumption of urgent truths as disposable content.

This collection dissects the notion of hyperreality, where digital selves often overshadow physical existence. The artworks reflect on paradoxes such as privacy as product, activism as fashion, and the transformation of personal expression into public spectacle. Through these depictions, McDermott raises pressing questions about the agency and authenticity of modern identity, highlighting the tension between empowerment and entrapment in a digitized world.

Kelly’s approach is rooted in the surreal and the symbolic, invoking familiar iconography in unfamiliar juxtapositions. Bright, alluring colors beckon the viewer, while exaggerated forms underscore the absurdity at the core of modern society’s values. The Absurdity of Now thus serves as both an invitation and a confrontation, urging audiences to pause amidst the incessant flow of information and to reflect on the deeper implications of a world where even democracy and environmental crises are reduced to competing feeds.

The Absurdity of Now is not merely a critique of digital culture, but a portrait of a society at odds with itself, an era defined by contradictions that both entice and alarm. McDermott’s work serves as a vibrant yet cautionary reflection of a future that, while vividly envisioned, is fraught with urgent questions that remain unanswered.