Abstract black-and-white graphic artwork of vertical lines, dots, and flowing forms with the word “Swarm” at the bottom, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Close-up photograph of a hand holding a green leaf with a caterpillar crawling on it, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a shirtless man with a muscular back sitting on the ground behind a chain-link fence at an outdoor basketball court, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a faded chalk drawing on asphalt showing a yellow circular shape with faint handprints around it, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of dark streaks and marks on a tiled wall resembling abstract brush strokes or grass-like patterns, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a shirtless man with a detailed tattoo of a bird holding a branch on his upper arm, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a cityscape seen through a scratched window, with sunlight streaking across the sky and a faint rainbow effect, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of an old ATM or vending machine painted over in white against a brick wall, with peeling paint and visible shadows, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of the corner of a modern high-rise building at night, with a single warm light glowing under the structure, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a Coca-Cola paper cup with a straw on a red mat inside a shop window, alongside a green lighter, a smartphone, and receipts, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of tall grasses in soft focus with sunlight filtering through, a faint silhouette of a building visible in the background, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract photograph of light shining through textured glass, creating a circular glowing pattern against a dark blue background, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract photograph of a seated figure in a dark room, face obscured by a bright blue light flare, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a closed beige door surrounded by parted blue curtains, with a dark interior space partially visible behind, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract night photograph of a cityscape seen through vertical orange light streaks, with blurred multicolored lights suggesting buildings and streets, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Portrait of a man with glasses, a trimmed beard, and a navy shirt standing outdoors at sunset, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a young woman in a beige top and white shorts standing under colorful neon lights at night, her face illuminated with pink and purple tones, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a weathered pink metal door and adjacent corrugated shutter, with stained concrete walls showing moss and rust, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of an elderly man in a plaid shirt and pink T-shirt sitting in partial shadow, holding a cigar with lottery tickets and a cup nearby, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a silhouetted building at sunset with a dramatic beam of sunlight cutting through clouds, power lines visible above, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of people’s shadows cast on a city pavement, with feet and legs partially visible at the top of the frame, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph taken through a window showing a small outdoor balcony with a green floor, a white metal railing, and a wall pipe streaked with rust, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a blurred figure in the foreground with a sunlit high-rise building sharply visible in the background, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a tree and mossy ground by a pond, with sunlight reflecting off the water and a cloud mirrored in the surface, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a woman in a long yellow coat leaning against a post outside, absorbed in her smartphone, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Portrait of a young woman with red hair and layered necklaces, listening to music with earphones while sitting on public transit, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract photograph of glowing red fiber-like lines against a black background, from the “Swarm” series by Patrick Corrigan, 2025.
Photograph of a riverside cityscape at dusk with dark storm clouds above, silhouetted apartment blocks, and faint light on the horizon, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a young woman crouching in the dark, illuminated by the glow of her smartphone, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Close-up photograph of a white plastic bag tied in a knot around a metal fence, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of pink blossoms in soft focus with branches against a blue sky, creating a dreamy layered effect, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Dark, moody photograph of a tall apartment building in Kyoto, with faint surrounding city structures, from the “Swarm” series by Patrick Corrigan, 2025.
Abstract photograph of sunlight reflected on water, creating bright organic shapes and fragmented light patterns, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of an unmade bed with crumpled blue bedding beneath a window with closed blinds, light filtering into the room, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a cloudy blue sky seen through streaked glass, vertical lines cutting across the frame, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a woman seen from behind sitting on a bench, with another person’s arm resting along the back of the bench, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of light filtering through pleated curtains, casting shadows on a patterned floor beneath, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a blurred figure sitting by a riverbank, with sunlight on the water and insects or particles floating in the air in sharp focus, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.

Swarm

Project Statement

“…when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few; when people lose the ability to set their own agendas or question authority; with our critical faculties in decline, we slide almost without noticing back into superstition and darkness.“

— Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (1995) 

As a child growing up in rural Ohio, I remember a desire to be with people. Our closest neighbors lived miles away; it was during our harsh winters that I became aware of the need for and function of human relationships and communal belonging. The slow movement of time within this expansive childhood space yielded my fascination with what it means to be emotionally fulfilled through one’s connections to both oneself and each other.

Today, that sense of belonging I once thrived upon is waning. The dissociative impact of technologies—such as social media, the internet, and handheld devices—erodes both tangible communities and the complex proximal relationships that historically sustain them.

Swarm observes and addresses a culture engineered to intentionally distract each of us, serving to further alienate and isolate each of us within an increasingly inhuman and entropic infosphere, itself now a proxy for the teeming, interactive physical spaces of my youth.

This work ultimately emphasizes my ambivalence. At once, I participate in the disintegration of community while also longing for the restoration and growth of the connections that are essential for us to build communities that thrive and live lives brimming with purpose and meaning.

 

天狗

プロジェクト声明

「…限られた少数の者だけが強大な技術的力を手にしたとき、人々が自らの課題を設定したり権威に疑問を投げかける力を失ったとき、そして私たちの批判的な能力が衰退するとき、私たちはほとんど気づかないままに迷信と闇の中へと後退していくのです。」

- カール・セーガン『悪魔に取り憑かれた世界』： 闇の中のろうそくとしての科学 (1995) 

オハイオ州の田舎で育った子供の頃、私は人と共にいたいという願望を抱いていました。最も近い隣人は何マイルも離れており、厳しい冬の間に、人間関係と共同体への帰属感の必要性とその機能に気づくようになりました。この広大な空間で時間がゆっくりと流れる中、自己との繋がりや他者との繋がりを通じて、感情的に満たされるとは何かということに魅了されました。

しかし今日、その帰属感は薄れていくばかりです。ソーシャルメディア、インターネット、携帯端末などの技術がもたらす解離的な影響により、実体的なコミュニティや、それを歴史的に支えてきた複雑な近接関係が侵食されています。

『Swarm』は、意図的に私たち一人ひとりを分断し、ますます人間らしさを失い、エントロピー的な情報空間へと孤立させるよう設計された文化を観察し、それに向き合う作品です。この情報空間は、かつて私の青春時代に存在した人々が集う物理的な空間の代わりとなっています。

この作品は、私自身のアンビバレンス（両価性）を強調します。コミュニティの崩壊に加担しつつも、それを回復し、人々が意義と目的に満ちた生活を築くために必要な繋がりを再び成長させることを切望しています。

 

Project Overview

Abstract black-and-white graphic artwork of vertical lines, dots, and flowing forms with the word “Swarm” at the bottom, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Close-up photograph of a hand holding a green leaf with a caterpillar crawling on it, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a shirtless man with a muscular back sitting on the ground behind a chain-link fence at an outdoor basketball court, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a faded chalk drawing on asphalt showing a yellow circular shape with faint handprints around it, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of dark streaks and marks on a tiled wall resembling abstract brush strokes or grass-like patterns, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a shirtless man with a detailed tattoo of a bird holding a branch on his upper arm, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a cityscape seen through a scratched window, with sunlight streaking across the sky and a faint rainbow effect, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of an old ATM or vending machine painted over in white against a brick wall, with peeling paint and visible shadows, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of the corner of a modern high-rise building at night, with a single warm light glowing under the structure, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a Coca-Cola paper cup with a straw on a red mat inside a shop window, alongside a green lighter, a smartphone, and receipts, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of tall grasses in soft focus with sunlight filtering through, a faint silhouette of a building visible in the background, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract photograph of light shining through textured glass, creating a circular glowing pattern against a dark blue background, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract photograph of a seated figure in a dark room, face obscured by a bright blue light flare, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a closed beige door surrounded by parted blue curtains, with a dark interior space partially visible behind, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract night photograph of a cityscape seen through vertical orange light streaks, with blurred multicolored lights suggesting buildings and streets, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Portrait of a man with glasses, a trimmed beard, and a navy shirt standing outdoors at sunset, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a young woman in a beige top and white shorts standing under colorful neon lights at night, her face illuminated with pink and purple tones, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a weathered pink metal door and adjacent corrugated shutter, with stained concrete walls showing moss and rust, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of an elderly man in a plaid shirt and pink T-shirt sitting in partial shadow, holding a cigar with lottery tickets and a cup nearby, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a silhouetted building at sunset with a dramatic beam of sunlight cutting through clouds, power lines visible above, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of people’s shadows cast on a city pavement, with feet and legs partially visible at the top of the frame, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph taken through a window showing a small outdoor balcony with a green floor, a white metal railing, and a wall pipe streaked with rust, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a blurred figure in the foreground with a sunlit high-rise building sharply visible in the background, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a tree and mossy ground by a pond, with sunlight reflecting off the water and a cloud mirrored in the surface, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a woman in a long yellow coat leaning against a post outside, absorbed in her smartphone, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Portrait of a young woman with red hair and layered necklaces, listening to music with earphones while sitting on public transit, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Abstract photograph of glowing red fiber-like lines against a black background, from the “Swarm” series by Patrick Corrigan, 2025.
Photograph of a riverside cityscape at dusk with dark storm clouds above, silhouetted apartment blocks, and faint light on the horizon, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a young woman crouching in the dark, illuminated by the glow of her smartphone, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Close-up photograph of a white plastic bag tied in a knot around a metal fence, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of pink blossoms in soft focus with branches against a blue sky, creating a dreamy layered effect, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Dark, moody photograph of a tall apartment building in Kyoto, with faint surrounding city structures, from the “Swarm” series by Patrick Corrigan, 2025.
Abstract photograph of sunlight reflected on water, creating bright organic shapes and fragmented light patterns, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of an unmade bed with crumpled blue bedding beneath a window with closed blinds, light filtering into the room, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a cloudy blue sky seen through streaked glass, vertical lines cutting across the frame, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a woman seen from behind sitting on a bench, with another person’s arm resting along the back of the bench, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of light filtering through pleated curtains, casting shadows on a patterned floor beneath, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.
Photograph of a blurred figure sitting by a riverbank, with sunlight on the water and insects or particles floating in the air in sharp focus, from Patrick Corrigan’s 2025 “Swarm” series.