MILES JAFFE

Some of my earliest memories are of taking things apart, usually in such a way that they could not be put back together again. How things are put together - how they work - was a mystery that I had to unravel. As Arthur C. Clark said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I wanted to learn the secret. 

Trying to discover how things work was eventually followed by trying to find out why things work - including human and social factors like behavior and economics. Using the rigorous analytical methods of my industrial design training I try to figure out why things don't work. As such I’ve been called cynical, but only by those who lack the power of accurate observation. I prefer to think of myself as a sardonic optimist.

This becomes my point of departure. My work contemplates the relationship between artist, medium, and product – and thus the very nature of art itself. It is a parody of parodies, which makes it a tribute as well, with no small irony.

Miles Jaffe