White Matter presents elements of Beales' ongoing research into Internet addiction, as well as the black mirror of the screen and it's historical antecedents. The title of the work responds to scientific research suggesting that individuals exhibiting symptoms of Internet addiction also display changes in the white matter of their brain similar to people addicted to alcohol and other drugs. While the diagnosis of Internet addiction is yet to become an official disorder in the UK, it is widely used in China and South Korea.

White Matter presents elements of Beales' ongoing research into Internet addiction, as well as the black mirror of the screen and it's historical antecedents. The Mexica people treasured obsidian - a volcanic, black, glass-like material - using it for mirrors and other ceremonial devices, as portals to access other realms. Beales draws a parallel between these obsidian mirrors and contemporary mobile telecommunication devices, which also act as portals into vast realms of information.

Visitors are invited to handle the weighty, black reflective stones and use them as viewing surfaces, watching as these hand-held objects reflect and distort the projection above. This video work consists of a series of shorts that focus on the blurring between offline and online realities -the tendency to get lost online and immersed within flows of information.

The title of the work responds to scientific research suggesting that individuals exhibiting symptoms of Internet addiction also display changes in the white matter of their brain similar to people addicted to alcohol and other drugs. While the diagnosis of Internet addiction is yet to become an official disorder in the UK, it is widely used in China and South Korea.

This work contains flashing images.