Many artists brandish a lens (or a brush) to capture the beauty of the world around us. Art that simply indulges in beauty can be like candy: the effect is very temporary. It washes over us and is gone.
But…. sometimes that art is powerful, permanently affecting our state of mind and view of the world around us.
Last night I had the privilege of seeing the work of an artist with that special power… Chris Jordanobserves mundane objects from contemporary life in a stunningly rich and beautiful manner. At a distance, it’s gorgeous. Close up, it’s frightening. Chris shows how little things in large numbers become very very big and very very important. The net impact gives meaning to a specific number (connected to that object), that otherwise would be almost meaningless.
How many tuna do we harvest?
20,500 tuna every 15 minutes
How many plastic cups do we use and trash on airplanes?
How many sharks are killed and pillaged for their fins?
270,000 sharks every day
How much oil are we consuming?
To hear the artist talk about his passion, check out his presentation at TED.
Chris’ work has enlightened me. I hope you see and enjoy a similar effect…
Dave
