GRUNDER: Are you attracted to me?

Abstract

Are you attracted to me? is part of Larry Walker-Tonks’ on-going GRUNDER series which he began during his MA at the University of Salford after growing tired of having feeling that his body was treated as a commodity by other users on dating apps. The following text is appropriated from messages that the artist himself has received through dating apps Grindr and Tinder. Walker-Tonks’ GRUNDER series reflects upon how we present ourselves online; how we use dating apps like Grindr and Tinder; the consequences of a highly sexualized western culture; and how new-found online anonymity has torn down the boundaries between what is and is not acceptable public discourse, which has resulted in an accepted laddish camaraderie and ‘send nudes’ culture in the Facebook age. In this context Are you attracted to me? and the wider GRUNDER project serve as an intervention and warning. The text from Are you attracted to me? provided a script used as an audio element accompanying a ‘speaking sculpture’ shown during an immersive GRUNDER event in Manchester in 2017. The text is complete with original spelling mistakes and grammatical errors for your reading pleasure.