Artist Profile Norah Borden
Norah Borden, And, if we do not confront it, we will not just lose truth, but the ability to know we ever had it, 2025, Sculpted acrylic on acrylic block (5-panel polyptych), 17” x 9” x 4” (432 mm x 229 mm x 102 mm).
Borden’s incisive, sculpted polyptych refracts truth through distortion and glossy illusion.
Artist Statement
This 5-panel polyptych work explores representation, perception, and the erosion of truth in a time increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and disinformation.
The acrylic block substrate symbolizes the illusion of stable foundations in contemporary society. Resting on its surface are white, metamorphic forms made from sculpted acrylic skins, designed to resemble sheets of newsprint. I prompted ChatGPT to generate content examining how truth is manipulated through disinformation and the impact on our civilization. The resulting text was laid out in the style of traditional newspapers, invoking their familiar authority while complicating the relationship between appearance and authenticity.
Within the text are layered references, including one to René Magritte’s The Treachery of Images, drawing attention to the gap between representation and reality. The word “truth” also appears in over fifty languages, emphasizing how both personal and collective truths are shaped by subjective perception and experience. Each person approaches truth from a slightly different angle, and this variation contributes to our shared yet fractured understanding of reality.
Blurring the line between painting and sculpture, the piece reflects a world where truth is no longer something passively observed, but something actively constructed/sculpted. As we navigate a landscape filled with deepfakes, synthetic media, and persuasive fictions, we are left to question not only what is real, but also what kind of future is possible when trust itself begins to erode.
Through the interplay of text, texture, and form, this work invites the viewer to consider: How is our understanding of truth being reshaped by artificial intelligence? In a world overwhelmed by misinformation, where can we locate the foundations of reality?
Artist Biography
Norah Borden is a Canadian artist and graduate of Ontario College of Art & Design University. Her work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally, and is held in private, corporate, and public collections — including the Crown Collection of the Government of Canada.