Comments on: Intolerable Beauty: Chris Jordan Photographs American Mass Consumption

By: StaterOfTheObvious

StaterOfTheObvious — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:56:17 +0000

I love how a kid like me gets to shove it in your face. That you just want to self justify that the artists who go the distance to take these photos to show to the rest of the world what is happening (IN AMERICA ONLY – THINK OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES). And you go and sling mud at his work, and the best you could do was to say that the curcuit boards picture was just over dramatic. Well take a look at the others, moblie phones are small and look how much smaller they are turning up in the picture. Your the one thats dramatising about how the artists dramatise about what isn’t there.
‘You people are not doing yourselves a favor by repeating the phrase “the whole world should see this” over and over again. Take a look at the facts because judging from some pretty, cleverly taken photos doesn’t make you appear, erm, intelligent. I am not interested in defending mass consumption, but these pictures are just well made propaganda which an adult should be able to spot.’
Your obviously an adult that believes whatever comes your way first. Well, you might ’see past this propaganda(as you believe it is)’ but too bad you fell for the one that came first, ‘plastic can be recycled’, ‘plastic is degradable’, ‘but the things in the recycling bin because they’ll do something about it’ Who’s they? Definately not an unintelligent single minded adult like you.

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By: D. R. Cuellar

D. R. Cuellar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:05:42 +0000

I agree completely.

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By: solarpanelsforsale

solarpanelsforsale — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:08:27 +0000

Astounding. We make so much waste and it is only getting worse as things get cheaper. We really need to rethink how often we buy new and through away. I must say though, amazing photos.

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By: Myra

Myra — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:48:27 +0000

It’s pretty funny that when someone makes a statement through art that you happen to notice you feel the need to act with such incredible hostility and resort to accusing the artist of left-wing propaganda.

There are several themes to this work – one is environmental – yes. I can easily think of some other important themes – greed, the rise of manufacturism and its impacts on society, the excess of the developed world…

By opening the forum with this rather hateful and condemning comment you have forced individuals to resort to an alternative position to yourself – so this conversation has degenerated into capitalists vs socialists.

Its bizarre really – perhaps more about you and your personal agenda than the agenda of the artist?

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By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:47:35 +0000

As anticipated, the pro-capitalist, corporatist faction, totally propagandized, have jumped on the bandwagon, comparing socialism! Where are the alternatives? Is Socialism to Capitalism as black is to white? NO! There are other less propagandized ways of doing things! What are they? Why are we diverted automatically by our strong propaganda to immediately draw comparisons and invoke Socialism, then communism and in negative terms, as the only alternative philosophies? This is only so in the well propagandized American mind! The oriental philosophies may bring other notions to the fore that will entrance the down-beaten American soul! What if: just what if there were a wider range of ideas outside the “American Box”? Outside the strict limits of Capitalism or Socialism only alternative theory? Outside our schooling, beyond our severely narrow-minded propagandization all these years? India presents a different form of “Democracy” as defined by the American propagandists! Very different indeed! Still democracy, but not by Yankee Doodle’s indoctrination! Goddamn! Outside his box! China’s communism/capitalism doesn’t fit anything Americans can digest in their narrow-minded, rigid and well propagandized, criteria oriented, definition system, so we wallow in mis-information! Fact is: All this pollution was originated by Capitalism’s seeking higher ROI! and has very little to do with sustainable survival of mankind! Childish bull Shiite fed, the Americans set the “one use, throw away” system in motion and set wrong precedent for the rest of the world! The Americans today face and Armageddon! They no longer have a strong dollar to demand these follies at the expense of 80% of the worlds resources! They will go through belt-tightening, and trend-set sustainability in the world, or face extinction! Remember: The U.S.S.R. faded to rubble in a single decade! America can do the same! The precedent was set thirty years ago! It is so possible! History shows Empires rapidly fading to rubble! Beware America!

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By: C.E

C.E — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:26:50 +0000

Wow Huggy Muggy, you sound intelligent. Same with you, Steve.

“In my opinion, 99% of environmentalists are just envious. Envious of people who have more money and are able to buy new stuff, or people who don’t have such a depression that gives them a fit when they think of consuming or buying.”

Sure that makes sense! Who would have thought that environmentalists actually care about the environment and realize that people are using the planet like a garbage dump. And of course, there’s absolutely no problem with using up resources faster than they can replenish themselves. And all those polluted lakes and oceans? Not our problem. What about the animals that choke on garbage and get caught in giant fishing nets? They’re just too stupid to know any better.

Just because our selfish actions harm the environment, doesn’t mean we should care right? It’s not like it’s directly affecting us.

Why take responsibility when we can just blame other countries that are worse than us? As long as there are other countries creating worse problems for the environment, we don’t have to do anything. Plus, having all this awesome stuff makes us happy right? And that’s of course the most important thing. Who needs to see the effects we create when we can just be safe in our own comfortable bubble?

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By: Tammy

Tammy — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:58:32 +0000

I don’t feel outrage here, I feel gypped. Where is the rest of the information? Sure, the pictures at first glance make the problem look ginormous, insurmountable. But, we’re not getting the whole picture here. Just like those photos circulating the ‘net, showing the supposed “country-sized” amount of garbage dumps floating about our oceans. Only, no one can ever seem to produce an aerial shot of the entire thing. The photos above are possibly cool from an art standpoint, but not from any environmental standpoint. Give us the whole view, give us all of the facts. How much of this is where it is, because it’s being prepared to be recycled? Is it spread in one single layer, or a 30 foot deep pile?

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By: fenderflip

fenderflip — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:56:11 +0000

I agree, capitalism did bring America to “such great heights.” But it was at the expense of most of the rest of the world, if we raised any standards of living, it was from the “trickle down economics” that dripped off our excess.

Anyway, capitalism is based on a linear growth pattern that can only last so long before it collapses under it’s own weight. It’s time is through.

My prediction is our future economy is based on resources, not capital. It’s the only way to have an economy that doesn’t eventually pop from inflation. I bet we’ll go back to bartering eventually, hopefully on a global level now instead of just a local level. Plus, non-exhaustible free energy is on the way. Once we have free energy it will be possible for everyone to have the same standard of living.

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By: Baie Li

Baie Li — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:10 +0000

I look at those huge masses of items and see possibilities. I wonder with some of those items just how they are recycled, I wonder what the components can be used for. Just what will they be re-made into … and will anyone ever actually know what they were in a previous cycle. Really … most of these goods can be broken down to components, base metals, and the inevitable toxic non-recyclable too.

Just how much of this … is not actually re-cycled or reused in some way. That for me is the only disturbing part.

I know that these are mass examples of sorted detritus … but it reminds me of a disturbing example of waste in my own community.

Where I work we take the time to divide our rubbish/trash according to our local government guidelines into the assorted classes of recycling and general waste. Yet, I watched the collection people come and tip the lot into the same garbage truck. It disturbed and disappointed me. How can we be the change we’d like to be in the world .. when some one else undoes our work?

Just my two bobs worth and a question.

Cheers

Baie.

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By: needletooth

needletooth — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:43 +0000

“I also felt like I aged about five years during this series. Virtually all the photos…required that I trespass. I’d go ask [for permission to photograph these piles of waste] but I’d get all these vague excuses: Homeland Security, insurance regulations…. I think it was really a weird fear about photography and exposure [even though] I offered veto [power], showed them my previous work, and explained I didn’t name individuals or companies. This was about [documenting] a nationwide, cultural phenomenon.” Circuit boards, Atlanta, 2004″

so offering veto and all that-didn’t matter? because you would trespass and acquire the shots anyways?? so why bother asking for permission?

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