Key Takeways: Series title 'Paper Cuts' (Key Takeways is No.6 of eight)

Paper Cuts No.6 - Key Takeaways
H42cm x W30cm
Work on paper (mixed media)

With the swift rise of generative AI, it’s now possible to get the computer to read and summarise volumes of text on your behalf. The summaries can be then read by someone else’s AI and acted upon, leaving you largely unnecessary. The work jargon of ‘Key Takeaways’ was an early indicator that many of us can’t be bothered to read past the first sentence anymore (are you still reading? – good).
This drawing focusses on how a lack of ‘effort’ often results in a lack of ‘engagement’ as we become disconnected with what we were supposed to be doing.

The series - Paper Cuts
This series explores the impact of language on mental health. Created through a
combination of collage and drawing techniques, they bring attention to the passive/aggressive phrases and words that are often used to bully and blame individuals. The works feature a clash of cartoon-like imagery and hand-drawn text, highlighting phrases such as “being resilient” and “gentle reminder” that can be used in a harmful manner. Similarly, as technology rapidly evolves, so too does the absurdity of the language we use to describe it. This language is parodied to highlight how it can make us as humans feel anxious, out-of-date, or redundant. The series encourages open conversations about mental health and challenges the notion that individuals can be ‘fixed’, which distracts us from attempting to create a more equal and supportive society. It’s a call to action to rethink the way we communicate and to understand the power of words.

Jac Batey is a contemporary artist from the UK. Her work explores the complexities and nuances of British life through the medium of artist’s books, printmaking, and collage. By utilizing humour as a tool, she reveals the absurdity and beauty of everyday experiences and the shared humanity that connects us all. She is drawn to (and draws) the intersection of visual communication, illustration, and mental health. Her practice focuses on the use of visual narratives and visual interludes as a means of addressing mental health issues, as well as the use of drawing as a research method and coping mechanism.