Chris Jordan - www.chrisjordan.com - this is from his Midway series. It is about albatross chicks that are fed a diet of plastic and refuse by their parents.
This is an extremely interesting and thought provoking piece. The artist has found a way to combine both the natural and artificial aspects in life, commenting on one aspects dominance over another. Clearly humans have chosen a life of artificiality over naturalness. No longer do we respect nature and its sustainability, but instead give precedence over our own personal needs. The amount of trash littering and polluting our environment is overwhelming, and Chris Jordan demonstrates his opinion on this topic through his artwork. The lifelike three-dimensional pieces reflect societies negative impact on the environment, and how our choices have resulted in the death of nature’s most beautiful creatures. Continuously we harm the environment by distracting ourselves with consumerism and disregarding our detrimental impacts on our surroundings. In the book A Sand Country Almanac by Aldo Leopold, the author chooses to take an in depth observation to the things surrounding him. Leopold recognizes the smells and habits of nature, recognizes the colors and movements, and pays attention to all the little details nature offers. In society today we no longer observe the minute but important details of nature. We disregard nature as second hand to our own personal wants and allow our selfishness to lead to the destruction of nature. If humans took a greater interest in our environment and ecosystem and less of an interest in products and indulgence, then maybe the death of albatross chicks would not result at the hands of our waste.
Although we have had only two lectures so far, my eyes have already been opened up to not only how little I know about the world, but also how materialistic and wasteful our society is. Although I always knew that we as a society abuse the environment, I never realized the severity and how much it can affect future generations. Taking the carbon footprint surveys, showed me how wasteful I was personally, but in comparison to the rest of people in the United States I was still below the average. However, the thing that has stuck out to me the most in our lectures was the image of the gorilla head in a bowl. I would have never guessed that less than three percent of cell phones are recycled, considering how many people have phones and I never would have connected the image of the cell phone to the gorilla. The lecture was the first time I have ever heard anything about the bush meat crisis in Africa, and had I not seen this image, I would not be as motivated as I am now to try to recycle my old cell phones, and make people more aware of the importance of recycling their cell phones, something that is so simple. Additionally, I thought that the “Beyond Hope” article was very interesting. I thought that Jensen’s style of writing was able to keep me interested in what he was saying, and helped me to realize that people have to get involved instead of just hoping that things will change because hope isn’t taking action.
Its photos like this that causes action among the public. As an artist, Chris Jordan is making an impact. I have never heard of these albatross chick's new diets, and it shocks me. As an artist, I am a very visual person. We hear and read about things on the news all the time, but it is easy to put out of our minds. Seeing something is the best way to get through to me, and I can bet its photos like this one that get through to most people. Likewise we say that the oil spill is doing horrific things to our cost and wildlife, but sometimes people need to see a bird covered in oil, or filled with it, to understand exactly how horrifying it is. ADP lecture has made me aware of many new things in this way, and one thing I remember distinctly is the photograph of innumerable cell phones thrown into a landfill. I do not think about things like cell phones as being a problem to recycle. When I think of recycling the first thing that comes to mind is plastic bottles and cardboard. What I didn’t realize is just how many things need to be recycled, and as an artist I feel responsibility in helping that redesign process, hopefully what will be a redesign revolution. What’s worse is that animals like the Gorillas that are being killed due to extra workers in coltan mines; animals cannot be replaced. We can plant more trees, recycle our paper, conserve our water, but if animal species are lost they are never coming back. I think recycling gives people this illusion that we can recover things we would waste. I agree with Jensen when he says hope is not always good. Hope can give people this false sense of reality that everything is going to be okay, and that we can change anything we put our mind to. Well I do not believe everything is going to be okay, and I have an overwhelming worry that when I die, the world will be on a downward spiral for the worst. And I think more people need to feel the gravity of our situation.
The lectures last week were very interesting. I understood a great majority of what Joe was talking about. I grew up in a household were shallow conversations were never allowed. In our family we always talked about world issues like war, economics, the environment, technology and how we humans pretty much destroy every thing we touch. At first the photo of the gorilla’s head took me back but then it really got me to think about how little most people (including myself) know about how technology really affects the world. I was also surprised by how many people DIDN’T know that many countries in Africa. Maybe its because of how I was raised or the social studies education I got in high school, but it made me really upset that not that many people knew about African countries. When it came to the Beyond Hope reading…honestly, I only read about 95% of it. Not because I didn’t want to finish it but its cause I was offended by it. I really tried to put my opinion aside but I couldn’t help but get angry at the reading. What really got to me was how he would belittle God, for example when he said, “your problems would somehow get solved through the magical assistance of God…” I don’t understand why he would say something like that. I feel like this man doesn’t seriously have a good life. I truly believe in hope and I believe in God. To me, a life without God, a life with out hope is just sad and lonely. As Psalms 119:74 says, “May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.” I put my hope in Gods word and I feel sad for this man for not having hope. This is just my opinion but I feel like this man really needs to search for a deeper meaning in life and not just make a living off of being a Debbie downer.
Since this was the first lecture there it was hard trying to remember exactly what was said but there were a few parts that really did. When there were pictures of the cell phones in that pile I remember that my jaw literally dropped. I couldn’t fathom that that many cell phone hadn’t been recycled, and what’s really hard is knowing I have so many old cell phones in my drawers that I just have laying there because Im too lazy to go recycle them somewhere. I don’t even know where to go to recycle a cell phone. I think that with apple they have a system that recycles all of their old phones and computers for free and takes care of that, but I think that they only do that for apple products. If recycling cell phones will actually save all of those gorillas then we need to advertize how to recycle them better, because at this point I don’t think people even know where to go. The image of the gorilla was so gripping and horrifying, I know that I talked a little about this in my other response but I feel the need to bring it up again, because it was shown the first time aswell. This picture really got me wanting to make a difference because I am such an animal lover, let alone I have a heart. To see an animal with its head cut off it horrible and hurts my heart. I really hope that this class give us the kick to get a system of how we can start to fix these problems.
After looking through the photos of Midway it kind of gave me an instant glimpse of the message I believe Joe was trying to give us/ show us. Notifying us on how wasteful we are, how much plastic and other recyclables we discard of. If you get rid of these type of things any kind of way and not in the appropriate manner it could possibly lead to something of that matter. The pictures were very disturbing, I admit I had to turn away for a minute, it was a bit shocking. But these things happen everywhere and all the time. I’m glad that we are looking at more of the “World’s Perspective” in ADP III. You can’t be an artist if you don’t know what’s going on around you and around the world. Since we have the power to take control of the situation we need to do so. Animals deserve life, just as humans do.
Lyle A. Murphy ADP III -Section 3 Weekly Statement 9/14/10
Derrick Jensen is an interesting man in his approach to conservation and the environment. When most would feel for a topic in terms of logic he takes it to an emotional level. His writing resonates with the fiery passion of his emotion and in some instances can come off as rather harsh and negative to the reader. He does stir up wonderful discussion though on the idea of hope and how it hinders rather than helps those who want change to come. He brings forth a catch 22 in that hope gives us strength but at the same time nulls us into complacency that someone or something else will come along to save our problems. But this isn’t true for him. It is going to take hard work by all who live and reap the wealth of this world. Hopefully soon we can just all realize that and work toward a common goal. This piece raises these questions just as well. The dead albatross brings up the decay of our environment and all the trash to our impact on the environment. Where naturally this albatross would be full of fish and not dead there remains the waste of society. This is a very powerful message on how our actions are hurting and even destroying our very world.
At first glance of Chris Jordan’s picture that James posted on the blog I was under the impression that the bird was constructed and all the plastic bits and pieces were implanted. Not in a million years would I believe that albatross chicks were being fed a plastic diet, but the midway project brings it all the way from a remote marine environment thousands of miles from the nearest continent to reality. It’s such a bizarre concept that I can only imagine how many other tragedies are destroying animals. The thing that really gets me is that the albatross that’s hunting for food is so bombarded with pollution that they seriously believe what they have in their mouth is food for their chicks. I’m no expert but I assume these albatross probably grab the first thing that looks like food so they can get back to the nest without having to fly hundreds of miles. And the fact that in such a remote place the ocean is still suffering from pollution is shocking and goes to show that our waste problem is not only a problem, it’s an epidemic. I can’t help but think about the Beyond Hope article when seeing the midway project. You hope that a marine animal doesn’t get caught up in a plastic 6-pack but take a look at these pictures and that hope vanishes because it’s happening and in a big way. This project also helps me out a lot, my cfc teacher has been posing questions along the lines of, “what is an artists role in society?” Well I can’t think of a better role than to bring instances like these albatross chicks to light. For me, it’s hard to go out and find what’s not being handed to me on a platter, what’s not showing up on my radar. I also think that you don’t need to go out to the middle of the north pacific to make a statement. Don’t get me wrong I’d rather have the albatross problem known than unknown, I just think that there has to be something closer to home, something that is going to rub people the wrong way and make them realize that such disasters are happening locally, right in their back yard.
This is an extremely interesting and thought provoking piece. The artist has found a way to combine both the natural and artificial aspects in life, commenting on one aspects dominance over another. Clearly humans have chosen a life of artificiality over naturalness. No longer do we respect nature and its sustainability, but instead give precedence over our own personal needs. The amount of trash littering and polluting our environment is overwhelming, and Chris Jordan demonstrates his opinion on this topic through his artwork. The lifelike three-dimensional pieces reflect societies negative impact on the environment, and how our choices have resulted in the death of nature’s most beautiful creatures. Continuously we harm the environment by distracting ourselves with consumerism and disregarding our detrimental impacts on our surroundings. In the book A Sand Country Almanac by Aldo Leopold, the author chooses to take an in depth observation to the things surrounding him. Leopold recognizes the smells and habits of nature, recognizes the colors and movements, and pays attention to all the little details nature offers. In society today we no longer observe the minute but important details of nature. We disregard nature as second hand to our own personal wants and allow our selfishness to lead to the destruction of nature. If humans took a greater interest in our environment and ecosystem and less of an interest in products and indulgence, then maybe the death of albatross chicks would not result at the hands of our waste.
ReplyDeleteLindsay Avino
ReplyDeleteADP III
Response for 9/14
Although we have had only two lectures so far, my eyes have already been opened up to not only how little I know about the world, but also how materialistic and wasteful our society is. Although I always knew that we as a society abuse the environment, I never realized the severity and how much it can affect future generations. Taking the carbon footprint surveys, showed me how wasteful I was personally, but in comparison to the rest of people in the United States I was still below the average. However, the thing that has stuck out to me the most in our lectures was the image of the gorilla head in a bowl. I would have never guessed that less than three percent of cell phones are recycled, considering how many people have phones and I never would have connected the image of the cell phone to the gorilla. The lecture was the first time I have ever heard anything about the bush meat crisis in Africa, and had I not seen this image, I would not be as motivated as I am now to try to recycle my old cell phones, and make people more aware of the importance of recycling their cell phones, something that is so simple. Additionally, I thought that the “Beyond Hope” article was very interesting. I thought that Jensen’s style of writing was able to keep me interested in what he was saying, and helped me to realize that people have to get involved instead of just hoping that things will change because hope isn’t taking action.
Its photos like this that causes action among the public. As an artist, Chris Jordan is making an impact. I have never heard of these albatross chick's new diets, and it shocks me. As an artist, I am a very visual person. We hear and read about things on the news all the time, but it is easy to put out of our minds. Seeing something is the best way to get through to me, and I can bet its photos like this one that get through to most people. Likewise we say that the oil spill is doing horrific things to our cost and wildlife, but sometimes people need to see a bird covered in oil, or filled with it, to understand exactly how horrifying it is. ADP lecture has made me aware of many new things in this way, and one thing I remember distinctly is the photograph of innumerable cell phones thrown into a landfill. I do not think about things like cell phones as being a problem to recycle. When I think of recycling the first thing that comes to mind is plastic bottles and cardboard. What I didn’t realize is just how many things need to be recycled, and as an artist I feel responsibility in helping that redesign process, hopefully what will be a redesign revolution. What’s worse is that animals like the Gorillas that are being killed due to extra workers in coltan mines; animals cannot be replaced. We can plant more trees, recycle our paper, conserve our water, but if animal species are lost they are never coming back. I think recycling gives people this illusion that we can recover things we would waste. I agree with Jensen when he says hope is not always good. Hope can give people this false sense of reality that everything is going to be okay, and that we can change anything we put our mind to. Well I do not believe everything is going to be okay, and I have an overwhelming worry that when I die, the world will be on a downward spiral for the worst. And I think more people need to feel the gravity of our situation.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRebecca Aguilar
ReplyDeleteThe lectures last week were very interesting. I understood a great majority of what Joe was talking about. I grew up in a household were shallow conversations were never allowed. In our family we always talked about world issues like war, economics, the environment, technology and how we humans pretty much destroy every thing we touch. At first the photo of the gorilla’s head took me back but then it really got me to think about how little most people (including myself) know about how technology really affects the world. I was also surprised by how many people DIDN’T know that many countries in Africa. Maybe its because of how I was raised or the social studies education I got in high school, but it made me really upset that not that many people knew about African countries.
When it came to the Beyond Hope reading…honestly, I only read about 95% of it. Not because I didn’t want to finish it but its cause I was offended by it. I really tried to put my opinion aside but I couldn’t help but get angry at the reading. What really got to me was how he would belittle God, for example when he said, “your problems would somehow get solved through the magical assistance of God…” I don’t understand why he would say something like that. I feel like this man doesn’t seriously have a good life. I truly believe in hope and I believe in God. To me, a life without God, a life with out hope is just sad and lonely. As Psalms 119:74 says, “May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.” I put my hope in Gods word and I feel sad for this man for not having hope. This is just my opinion but I feel like this man really needs to search for a deeper meaning in life and not just make a living off of being a Debbie downer.
Sam Goldman
ReplyDeleteADP III
Weekly response
Lecture response
Since this was the first lecture there it was hard trying to remember exactly what was said but there were a few parts that really did. When there were pictures of the cell phones in that pile I remember that my jaw literally dropped. I couldn’t fathom that that many cell phone hadn’t been recycled, and what’s really hard is knowing I have so many old cell phones in my drawers that I just have laying there because Im too lazy to go recycle them somewhere. I don’t even know where to go to recycle a cell phone. I think that with apple they have a system that recycles all of their old phones and computers for free and takes care of that, but I think that they only do that for apple products. If recycling cell phones will actually save all of those gorillas then we need to advertize how to recycle them better, because at this point I don’t think people even know where to go. The image of the gorilla was so gripping and horrifying, I know that I talked a little about this in my other response but I feel the need to bring it up again, because it was shown the first time aswell. This picture really got me wanting to make a difference because I am such an animal lover, let alone I have a heart. To see an animal with its head cut off it horrible and hurts my heart. I really hope that this class give us the kick to get a system of how we can start to fix these problems.
After looking through the photos of Midway it kind of gave me an instant glimpse of the message I believe Joe was trying to give us/ show us. Notifying us on how wasteful we are, how much plastic and other recyclables we discard of. If you get rid of these type of things any kind of way and not in the appropriate manner it could possibly lead to something of that matter. The pictures were very disturbing, I admit I had to turn away for a minute, it was a bit shocking. But these things happen everywhere and all the time. I’m glad that we are looking at more of the “World’s Perspective” in ADP III. You can’t be an artist if you don’t know what’s going on around you and around the world. Since we have the power to take control of the situation we need to do so. Animals deserve life, just as humans do.
ReplyDeleteLyle A. Murphy
ReplyDeleteADP III -Section 3
Weekly Statement 9/14/10
Derrick Jensen is an interesting man in his approach to conservation and the environment. When most would feel for a topic in terms of logic he takes it to an emotional level. His writing resonates with the fiery passion of his emotion and in some instances can come off as rather harsh and negative to the reader. He does stir up wonderful discussion though on the idea of hope and how it hinders rather than helps those who want change to come. He brings forth a catch 22 in that hope gives us strength but at the same time nulls us into complacency that someone or something else will come along to save our problems. But this isn’t true for him. It is going to take hard work by all who live and reap the wealth of this world. Hopefully soon we can just all realize that and work toward a common goal.
This piece raises these questions just as well. The dead albatross brings up the decay of our environment and all the trash to our impact on the environment. Where naturally this albatross would be full of fish and not dead there remains the waste of society. This is a very powerful message on how our actions are hurting and even destroying our very world.
Ben Paskus
ReplyDeleteSection 3
Weekly statement
At first glance of Chris Jordan’s picture that James posted on the blog I was under the impression that the bird was constructed and all the plastic bits and pieces were implanted. Not in a million years would I believe that albatross chicks were being fed a plastic diet, but the midway project brings it all the way from a remote marine environment thousands of miles from the nearest continent to reality. It’s such a bizarre concept that I can only imagine how many other tragedies are destroying animals. The thing that really gets me is that the albatross that’s hunting for food is so bombarded with pollution that they seriously believe what they have in their mouth is food for their chicks. I’m no expert but I assume these albatross probably grab the first thing that looks like food so they can get back to the nest without having to fly hundreds of miles. And the fact that in such a remote place the ocean is still suffering from pollution is shocking and goes to show that our waste problem is not only a problem, it’s an epidemic. I can’t help but think about the Beyond Hope article when seeing the midway project. You hope that a marine animal doesn’t get caught up in a plastic 6-pack but take a look at these pictures and that hope vanishes because it’s happening and in a big way. This project also helps me out a lot, my cfc teacher has been posing questions along the lines of, “what is an artists role in society?” Well I can’t think of a better role than to bring instances like these albatross chicks to light. For me, it’s hard to go out and find what’s not being handed to me on a platter, what’s not showing up on my radar. I also think that you don’t need to go out to the middle of the north pacific to make a statement. Don’t get me wrong I’d rather have the albatross problem known than unknown, I just think that there has to be something closer to home, something that is going to rub people the wrong way and make them realize that such disasters are happening locally, right in their back yard.