In 1978, Japanese roboticist Masahiro Morithere proposed the term, the “uncanny valley,” a concept that describes how people experience something that looks and behaves, like a human being. As things become more human-like in appearance and behaviour, our emotional response to them generally becomes more positive and relatable. However, there comes a point where this similarity triggers unease, causing a dip in our comfort levels. The term is now widely applied to humanoid objects, such as wax figures, computer generated film characters or lifelike robots. This notion is the subject of Marshall Gallery, Los Angeles’ latest exhibition, of the same title, featuring work by Cody Cobb (b. 1984), Kaya & Blank (b. 1990) and Alex Turner (b. 1984). As augmented realities and deep fakes become increasingly advanced and prevalent, these artists respond to novel and fabricated worlds through photography, video and installation.
