Sparkplug Collective’s ‘Selfie: Me, Myself, and Us’ Inspires and Resonates

When searching for the words to describe Sparkplug Collective’s newest exhibition, all that comes to mind is “resonant.” Selfie: Me, Myself, and Us is a rich exploration of our deepest selves, challenging viewers to examine the space between who we are and how we present ourselves.

I was lucky enough to attend opening night this past Friday at Cultural DC’s Flashpoint Gallery in Chinatown. Walking through the space, it was clear each artist’s work held deeply personal – as well as societal – meaning. The exhibition, which examines our cultural obsession with selfies, raises powerful questions about how people mold their identities.

“The show is really a meditation of sorts,” says Fabiola Alvarez Yurcisin, a Sparkplug Collective artist. “There’s an abstract, investigative meaning behind our work.”

The show’s artistic diversity only adds to its richness. Each piece was crafted with strikingly different mediums, utilizing glitter, video projectors, mirrors – even a metal birdcage.

Take Brendan Smith’s “Humanity Digitized.” The mannequin-like sculpture consists of aluminum foil, wire, circuit boards and 19th-century tintype photos. A large, vintage camera sits in place of the mannequin’s head, reminding viewers of the show’s central theme.

Smith’s use of digitally sourced materials adds a layer of complexity to the sculpture’s design. His choices reinforce the exhibition’s overarching message, encouraging viewers to examine his work – and the meaning of selfies – more deeply.

“I hope it causes people to pause for a moment and think about the amount of time they spend in the digital world, and how that affects their relationships in reality,” Smith says.

Other works included selfie-inspired pieces by Sparkplug Collective artists Michael Booker, Delesslin “Roo” George-Warren, Megan Maher, Jerome Skiscim, Casey Snyder, Jerry Truong and Yurcisin.

There’s no doubt the show raises questions that are deep and relevant. What struck me the most, though, was not the exhibition’s meaning, but the spirit behind it.

At the question and answer session held at the end of the evening, I learned what truly made the group a collective. Every artist, though from vastly different creative and cultural backgrounds, spoke candidly about their investment in each other’s artistic growth.

“We challenge each other with our varying perspectives and backgrounds,” Yurcisin says.

Perhaps this is the secret behind the exhibition’s resonance. The show is a creation born not from one creative mind, but from many – minds that endeavor to inspire others, as well. Together, Sparkplug Collective has shaped an exhibition that is profoundly personal, yet strongly universal. It is an artistic experience that promises to move us all.

Selfie: Me, Myself, and Us runs through March 11. The Luce Center Artist Talk, featuring Sparkplug Collective artists, is on Sunday, February 26 at 1:30 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The event is free and open to the public.

Flashpoint Gallery: 916 G St. NW, DC; 202-315-1305; www.culturaldc.org