the Art of Consumption

[Android]

this blew my mind today ....


Chris Jordan has turned the statistics of American consumption (and
other issues) into graphic images that give a direct sense of our
senselessness...


http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php

[Hyskoa]

Nice idea, but will it change anything.

[tomwaits4noman]

some of the images are amazing as for changing anything its doubtful

[kev ferrara]

Its always good to be reminded.

And if the right student sees these images it may prompt the thought that leads to the breakthrough in clean technology that will supplant so much of our foolishness.

[El Jeremie]

Fun indeed. but sad in fact

[Brendan N]

Its always good to be reminded.

And if the right student sees these images it may prompt the thought that leads to the breakthrough in clean technology that will supplant so much of our foolishness.

ditto. It's all contributing to an anti-consumerist attitude in my opinion, and that's what's going to change things in the long run.

Thanks for sharing Andrew, some fantastic stuff.

[Vhan Juju]

Wow....

[Costau D]

Its always good to be reminded.

And if the right student sees these images it may prompt the thought that leads to the breakthrough in clean technology that will supplant so much of our foolishness.

Andrew: Love the post man thanks.

Yep yep, art is about opening doors to people, not always solving something, but inspiring those who can. A piece of art doesn't have to inspire mass amounts of people and have an astounding effect that will snap the public out of something, or make them realize. If it effects the right person, he will do something to help the cause, then someone will be inspired by him/her and then they may do something.

To me the effect art has on the world is like the butterfly effect. Just gotta pay it forward. Even the drawing of a smiley face from a child can inspire someone or make them happier.

[DavePalumbo]

wow, that was a depressing way to start the day. This would be amazing to see in person though I gather it's not currently showing?

[Steph Laberis]

Whoah. I better brush the dust off of my canvas grocery bags, I've been slacking lately. Thanks for posting, Andrew. I'll be sending the link around.

[Jason Rainville]

Our prof displayed these in class a while ago, shocking stuff. Just goes to show how little numbers realy meant to us, and how visual things can get us (at least us creative types) thinking.

[aesir]

the prison one reminded me of what I read on cnn today.

1 in every 100 americans is behind bars right now.

crazy.

[Carnifex]

holy shit.

[Flake]

Those are some scary numbers..

[Joshua Fountain]

Yeesh! Good to actually see the numbers for once in my opinion.

Shouldn't this thread be in Art Discussion though?

[Earendil]

ditto. It's all contributing to an anti-consumerist attitude in my opinion, and that's what's going to change things in the long run.

It is good to be reminded, thank you Andrew. It's just nuts.

Wouldn't a drop of consumption weaken our economy and ultimately our ability to educate/recycle/come up with solutions?

[Brendan N]

It is good to be reminded, thank you Andrew. It's just nuts.

Wouldn't a drop of consumption weaken our economy and ultimately our ability to educate/recycle/come up with solutions?

I'm no Situationist, but don't we have those problems already? As far as I have it, consumerism is largely perpetuating those issues by widening the wealth chasm, if I can put it that way. Consumerism allows the rich to become richer, whilst the poor go poorer. Again, I speak under correction, but I think one of the main critiques of anti-consumerism is that money is being on the wrong stuff.

I'm rambling and horrible tired and in serious danger of getting off-topic (if not already there), I'll review this in the morning :).

[Earendil]

Thanks for the reply. I don't know much, but that question popped in my head. I'll have to look up "Situationist".

And if I read your above statement correctly did you mean to say "but I think one of the main critiques of anti-consumerism is that money is being >spent< on the wrong stuff" ?

[Max Challie]

That stunned me at first, although it wore off over time. I wonder where they put all the things like plastic bottles, etc. And come on, the dollar note one is photoshopped. The darker notes are too perfectly inked to be physical, I think that's digitally manipulated. Just my opinion though.

[Brendan N]

Thanks for the reply. I don't know much, but that question popped in my head. I'll have to look up "Situationist".

And if I read your above statement correctly did you mean to say "but I think one of the main critiques of anti-consumerism is that money is being >spent< on the wrong stuff" ?

That's right, sorry I'm tired.

And come on, the dollar note one is photoshopped. The darker notes are too perfectly inked to be physical, I think that's digitally manipulated.

How these were done is completely beside the point.

[Mirana]

That stunned me at first, although it wore off over time. I wonder where they put all the things like plastic bottles, etc.

In gigantic landfills, unless you care enough to recycle them. Plastic is actually very hard to recycle (it's not biodegradable and toxic to burn), which leads to horrific things like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (http://www.theiff.org/reef/reef4.html)--an area twice the size of Texas of floating plastic (and that's only 10% of our plastic waste).

[Lukias]

If somebody highlights and issue that gets someone somewhere to think and make a change then more power to them.

Mirana.. that article is damn depressing.

"Scientists who study the Rubbish Vortex say there is little we can do to clean it up so that even if we stopped using plastic tomorrow its residue will remain for thousands of years. Most of what is there now will eventually sink to the ocean floor where it will seriously disrupt benthic ecosystems. In the future, the twentieth century will be clearly visible in the geologic record by an indelible layer of plastic, as if a vast rain of synthetic meteorites had crashed to the earth"

50 years ago things were nowhere near this bad.. given the exponential rate of development.. 50 years from now..man, I just hate to think.
Current attidudes epitomize "ignorance is bliss"... I suspect not for long.

[HunterKiller_]

Those statistics are... Sickening.

[Sig.NAL]

Stupid monkeys... thank you Andrew, it'm always glad to see the world in a sorrier state state than previously suspected, and be reminded of the scale of our foolishness. but with any luck, pollution, widespread climate change, and the ensuing disasters will lay waste across the land and eliminate more of our ridiculous species than our wars have been able too. Or maybe there'll be some global shift in consciousness that may begin some kind of turnaround to our methods though i don't see that happening without severe destruction... Something that makes these statistics pale in comparison. Ooohh, this is exciting, what will it be i wonder, nuclear war, rising sea levels, commercialized fascism? the suspense is killing me. This misanthrope for one is simply tickled pink at the thought that all the technological advancements made in the past couple centuries that have allowed us to flourish will probably end up being the demise of us all. But HELLO PEOPLE, we have much more important things to worry about, at this time we should be much more concerned with assuming a prone position and leaving all our worries to an imaginary bearded fellow who concerns himself with the sexual activities and subsequent condemnation of homosexuals because we all know they will be the first to die by the crushing mountains of plastic cups and cigarettes we produce. How do i know this you ask, well because some dude in a funky getup told me so, and he would know.

[ciots]

jesus christ, how on earth did he go about making these?
kudos to him