A More Perfect Union · R. Luke DuBois

R. Luke DuBois explores American identity through the lens of online dating in "A More Perfect Union." Analyzing data from over twenty dating services, DuBois organized profiles by Congressional District using Census-style heuristics, creating maps that replace city names with the most frequently used self-descriptive keywords from 16.7 million words found in dating profiles. A video diptych sequences profile photos by Congressional District with centered eyes, producing gestalt impressions of America's dating pool. The project forces a reckoning with the vulnerable act of articulating self-identity in a semi-public space for romantic consideration — revealing the collective language Americans use to describe themselves when seeking connection.

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