Blog Eleven

Chris Jordan, Steel Shred, Tacoma 2004, from the series Intolerable Beauty: Portrait of American Mass Consumption, 44x58in.

http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/intolerable/#steel%20shred%2044x58

First I'm going to consider this photograph as conceptual art.  The concept of this piece and of the series it is a part of can easily be discovered by simply reading the title.  This piece is a portrait of American mass consumption.  The concept is reinforced by the size of the print.  This photograph is nearly 4x5 feet.  The large size is meant to make the viewer realize the huge size of the subject.  The placement of the mangled wheelbarrow at the extreme bottom of the page also gives a reference point to realize the size of the pile of steel.  The fact that the viewer can see even the small details in the photograph, mostly because of it's large size, helps to make the image more real.  This photograph functions in contemporary culture as a reminder of the American life style. 

Second I'll consider this photograph from a documentary perspective.  The photograph is meant to expose the American culture as a disposable society.  It draws attention to a side of our society that most people don't see.  Similar to the perspective above, the photograph functions in contemporary society as a portrait of the wasteful American.  It could be used to raise awareness for the needless mass consumption of this country, or simply to provide a view into the darker side of the American culture.  Either way, it is a document of a life style.

Thirdly I'll look at this photograph from the perspective of identity.  This photograph is the identity of the American people.  It is proof of our wasteful society where everything is disposable.  Even thought this photo is meant to represent only one culture, other cultures can keep it in mind when considering the identity of their own people. 

Images of My Own:

 I like this picture because of the linear perspective.  I like that it feels like the image can go on and on and on, much past where the cement pillars end.

I chose this image because it can be a narrative.  It feels like a mysterious someone just walked right out of the ocean and onto the beach.  But the only thing we know about them is the details of their footprint, they left no other evidence.

I chose this image because of the contrasting color.  Having red and green, two colors that are exactly opposite each other on the color wheel, the majority of the color in the image makes for an interesting balance.