Branded is a sculptural work by Gina D'Aloisio, in which the artist has tattooed their online handle onto a high fidelity silicone replica of a part of their own body. The tattoo is, specifically, a ‘tramp stamp,’ a cultural ghost of the early 2000s, and a part of the recent Y2K revival aesthetic. Playing with the notion of personal branding, the work touches upon the dystopic trope of the identity tattoo or personal serial number, while also layering in both a clear social satire of the online age and a hint of camp body horror. What strikes me most about Branded is that, despite wearing its intentions on its sleeve, (or rather, its lower back) there is nothing cheap or overly easy about it. What could have been a throwaway joke with a pun for a name, instead manages to stake out something truly insightful and nuanced; while still reaping the rewards of its accessible satire.

In part this is because of its incredible material resolution. The silicone replica is perfectly lifelike, yet still distanced just enough from reality (due in large part to its overtly unnatural pallor) to give itself conceptual breathing room. The entire work, though seemingly simple at first glance, is greatly elevated by such details. The ‘tramp stamp’ is actually tattooed, not merely printed or stickered on; the posture is naturalistic yet calculated. Perhaps most interesting of all is the inclusion of underwear, artfully integrated just enough onto the overall form to blend in without disappearing. This inclusion, possibly done for the sake of the artist’s own modesty, taps into one of the central conceits of online representation.

The figure, which is to say the artist, is exposed without ever being genuinely revealed. A clear veil, in this case one of literal fabric, exists between them and the viewer. They are on display, easily accessible in terms of their image and their algorithmically searchable online handle, and yet all that is actually shown of them is the fact that they ARE accessible. Contemporary social media platforms facilitate exhibition of the self as an ends unto itself, rather than a means of actual expression or vulnerability. A clear example of the medium becoming the message. The choice to brand the figure with a tramp stamp specifically is also a perfectly chosen detail, lower back tattoos being a form of personal marking which is visible to everyone except the one who bares it.

Getting back to the idea of dystopian body markings, we can see yet another example of the nuance at play within the work. While D'Aloisio could easily have leaned on the already well established tropes of the serial number tattoo or THX-1138 style barcode, they instead wisely choose to tread less worn territory. Their use of a social media style handle gives Branded more in common with soft dystopias, like Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral or the futurescape of William Gibson’s The Peripheral (the book, not the lackluster Amazon series). These worlds are less about Orwellian Monostates, forged wholecloth through fascist takeover, and more about the long branching chains of small (often personal and systemically necessitated) compromises which lead us past the point of no return. In other words, Neoliberal dystopias, in which the world is lost by degrees. Rather than being conquered, the people of such dystopias (which have far more of the speculative than the science fictional about them) are instead slowly but steadily inured to their own dissolution. Boiling frogs, rather than marching jackboots.

This is the real heart of the piece, at least as far as my own experience goes. It’s about taking steps to survive, forced upon us by a system of exploitation and control, knowing full well that these steps only bring us further into the fold. As much as D'Aloisio points a finger at the system, they also point it at themselves, making it clear that they are no more immune to the pulls and drives of social media than any of us. Importantly, they manage to do so while also offering a materially fascinating object, worthy of the finest gore movie effects houses, and a genuinely amusing bit of pun-fueled social commentary. Equal parts reflective, funny and technically impressive, Branded is a powerful addition to the archive.

Also, while we’re talking about it, you should probably follow the artist on Instagram.