Mitch Epstein - http://www.mitchepstein.net/ - http://whatisamericanpower.com/ - from his American Power series. This plays of the Amish aspect of the last lecture and how we decide what technology we accept and how it contributes to our community and society.
Mitch Eptein's work is an extremely powerful persuasive mass of work that reaches out to a broad audience for many weekends, thus proving how successful it is. His work is beautiful and because it is so widely exhibited, because of this reason it is so so extrodinarily persuasive. His work represents a mixture of message. One being the grace and form of energy-saving pieces. For example, his wind farm piece. How it has an almost mystical aura to it. Another picture is of the Hoover Dam captured in a shot that best represents it and relates it to the world and how perfectly it fits in by how peaceful it is set in the composition. Then, in contrast he has the picture of the coal plant. It seems to be placed in the background of an image with a kind house in front, placed just as peacefully in the photograph as the damn was places in the photograph. It is almost ironic in a way, and I believe that is exactly the point. Mitch Epstein’s work is representing various contrasts between what is man-made to benefit nature and what is made to slowly destroy nature due to the need of the human kind. There are so many things in this world that benefit society and the human-kind so much but, at the same time is slowly destroying the world. Though, a lot of the things are in the process of being re-done to be more so beneficial to nature.-brynn kurlan
ReplyDeleteLasn talks about getting away from the television that is turning you into a zombie that craves endless amounts of brains. Like Zombies, the United States citizens crave to consume for no reason but to have something and they are doing it with absolutely no thought. I too have watched myself become one with a couch ¬¬¬— back in the days that all I had was work or maybe in high school. My brain had been turning to mush by watching television and an intelligent conversation was hard to articulate because I had switched off my brain for four hours to watch Xena or Buffy. At the same time, In high school and middle school I never found myself really wanting anything shown on commercials unless it was supported by the consumption desires of my peers. Normally I was happier defying brands and logos being printed on my shirt unless I actually cared about what people thought.
ReplyDeleteIt was hilarious when I heard about the woman retaliating a unsolicitated fax on her home fax machine by sending nothing but a big black sheet of paper back to their fax machine. I couldn’t believe someone out there actually has the guts to screw over companies like this. As a child I was told to be polite and to not hurt anyone’s feelings, so the idea of rebelling against someone who is just doing their job is a scarey thought. Lasn does say there are many layers of people to blame for certain wrongs and that the ones that are just “the agents” are not the ones to rebel against. So how does one rebel against a solicitor on the phone of a girl that works for the bill company if they’re just doing what was instructed to them. I would like to think that the movie “The Office” would come into play and workers would rebel against the managers but things don’t always work out like a well thought out script.
On page 183 Lasn talks about people getting therapy by their family, friends, neighbors and community. I have seen what happens when people get therapy by people with out psychology degrees. It eventually leads to episodes similar to Jerry Springer because a lot of people are not rational enough to give advice about anything such as domestic violence or depression. Rational thinking and experience can give someone the ability to give advice but there is nothing like getting advice from someone with a psychology masters.
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ReplyDeleteMitch Eptein's work is indeed very thought provoking. He plays on displaying images that are composed of the natural setting and of things that have been manufactured. By using the smoke in the background of the images that are taking place outdoors, it gives it a powerful effect because instantly one thinks of pollution. Technological advancements have destroyed nature in many ways, and the picture of the children playing while one seems to be inhaling what looks to be like cigarette smoke, speaks the loudest. From my perspective, the two girls seem to be unaware of the situation taking place. The other photo of the Gavin Power Plant is very interactive with the viewer and it sends an immediate message stating that "this is a serious matter". I really enjoy his work I just wish that he would have provided a lot more photos, so that I could visually experience the effect of seeing the amount of consumption and energy we use and waste.
ReplyDeleteThe end of this book was of very little surprise to me. It is the culmination of all the acts previewed in earlier chapters into one large Second American Revolution. The odd part is that the section I agreed most with was her friend who told Kalle that the result of such a revolution may not end in a world she would want to live in. By taking down consumerism, people will lose hobbies and their favorite activities, like collecting model cars or watching their favorite sitcom with their friends. I am by no means saying that our consuming is alright, but the radical change proposed seems to be so drastic that the result would not be a great world to live in either.
ReplyDeleteOne part that speaks of undesirable traits of a reformed public is in the chapter about Rage. Here, she says that an ‘honest and joyful’ action is damaging a newspaper dispenser or destroying a billboard. Even if this act of vandalism is fun, which seems to me more like an action a teenager would do that has nothing better to do, the affect on the hundreds of commuters looking for a paper, or the store owner looking to find a few more customers through an advertisement surely outweighs the small adrenaline rush received by the vandal (in another part of the book Kalle talks about strengthening juvenile criminal laws).
Another part that disturbed me was in the chapter about the second revolution. It seems like she is pushing for people to be uncooperative or simply rude in their everyday demeanor as a way of fixing our current consumer problem. She tells us to stop being courteous. I don’t understand how getting upset over a random fax will destroy our over consuming society. Again, she points to how we handle our daily aggravations as a way to change the world, and being polite won’t help. Personally, I have observed that a nonviolent protest usually does a pretty good job, as seen by Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi. I know the importance of action, but there is a right and wrong way to get things done.
There are sections that I liked a lot. The paragraph explaining America as a play was great, and I definitely see the current consuming society as acting as a tragic flaw like in a Shakespearean play being the downfall of our culture. Also the part discussing ‘uncooling’ certain aspects of our society like owning many cars as an important step in finding a new and sustainable way for our nation to live.
As I started finishing up the book I noticed my attitude changed. In the beginning I was highly interested in what the author, Lasn, had to say in regards to the problem we do face due to numerous problems such as over consumerism and the overpowering of people by corporations. As the book ends, he talked about solutions for the problems he saw, and as he continues to talk about it, I started to notice that I drift off and find it so radical that I basically dismiss it.
ReplyDeleteI talked about similar problems last week as he gave out solutions. Most of his solutions were rather “out of the question” for me. For instance, when he talked about the idea of a member of a hockey team refusing to wear a Nike jersey and taking it to a whole new level by getting involved with the team, petition, protests, and the dean, it is “out of the question” in my life. I am not sure if I am ready to give everything I have away for a branding issue.
That being said, I do admire when he talks about knowing your limits. In this chapter he writes that you must know how much you are willing to loose for the cause, is it just sacrificing an hour of your time to talk to the manager or go to the court where you are facing legal charges as well. One thing that I noticed myself started to think as I approach the end of the book is that, I might not necessarily agree with what Lasn has as a solution but I can now perceive the AmericaTM and be fully aware of it so that I won’t be blind. For example, now I would stop myself before buying things at the mall and question if I really do think I need this object or is it just the brand that I identify with, or another piece of clothing/object I want to buy to make myself feel happier. I feel like even if I disregard a lot of his suggested solutions, being armed with the knowledge and the perspective will be just as good, because I can make my own solutions.
This particular work by Mitch Eptein is very interesting and intriguing. The picture shows a simplistic and very natural backyard, however in the background we notice these large power plants polluting the Earth. This picture is a fantastic juxtaposition of how technology is only progressing and continuing to effect our environment. It is especially apparent because the photograph is a great resemblance of nature due to the fact that the yard is very green and there are trees and flowers and bushes everywhere. On the other hand we notice the tree in the dead center of the picture with no leaves; a bare tree directly in front of the power plants with smoke coming out of the top. This picture to me is very clear on its message that technology is and continues to pollute our environment, it also shows how our planet could look if there wasn’t as much technology as well as how it could. Many things are going on within the photograph however the message is clear as crystal because, we are familiar with this situation; we hear about it all the time. Yes, with the advancement of technology we are able to accomplish a lot of this, but it is destroying us. The question on everyone’s mind is how can we put an end to it, or can’t we?
ReplyDeleteSusan Bell and Mitch Epstein photograph the relationship that America has with its energy use. They work to increase awareness of energy production and consumption and how its impacts the economy, security, natural resources, and health of Americans. Bell and Epstein hope that through their photos they will provoke questions from their audience. Audiences should ask themselves about the direction American power headed, and what kind of solutions are accessible when combining brain power, the power of imagination, and the power of community. Through their work, Bell and Epstein hope that Americans will start to make wiser choices to take an active role in conserving energy. I think their photographs are very thought provoking and motivating. However, there is an interesting theatrical aspect of the photos that takes away from the reality and urgency of the situation. The topic that Bell and Epstein chose to focus on in these photographs is an interesting one and it should be taken seriously and hopefully makes people more aware of environmental issues.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly to last weeks photograph I had to take a second look at this one. Once again I do not realize that anything is in the background until after I’ve taken a second look. This almost scares me because have I become so use to factories and technology around me that I do not even notice them around me? When reading the back story to this photograph I was astonished that the cost of electricity is higher then the people who live in the house in the picture costs. It also is disturbing that so much pollutants were added to the air from this plant that they needed to try to remove it and consequently adding new emissions to the air. This makes me afraid that whenever we try to recover the pollution in our world that while we are trying to fix it we just add to it.
ReplyDeleteWeekly Statement 11/16
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing Culture Jam this week I have though a lot about whether I am for or against consumerism. The time that we are ending this book is quite close to the biggest day of consumerism in America, Black Friday. I was watching the news a couple days ago and found out that Black Friday wasn’t called black because of the fact that there were so many people out. Black Friday actually got its name from the economy, it is the day in which our economy isn’t in the “RED” or bad zone. It is strange to think that our economy revolves so much around consumerism, and buying things. But if there weren’t people buying things, a lot of people wouldn’t have jobs to help them maintain a lifestyle.
I personally have never gone out on Black Friday, but even the days after it is filled with over crowded malls and stuffed parking lots. Holidays used to be about giving things that were personal, but slowly consumerism has changed the holidays into the time of giving expensive clothing and Mac book computers. It’s strange to think about how much has changed in just the past thirty or so years.
Another thing that has changed in the past years is consumerism and Fast Food. Fast Food restaurants have become way more popular, and because of the demand there are a ton more of them. Last week they put up a subway on the street right by the house I grew up in. My dad owns a gas station that is on the opposite side of the street. It’s a family owned gas station in which my grandparents owned before him. I was looking at the picture of Fisher Fuel and the neighboring community from twenty-five years ago. There was only a McDonalds at the time, since then this one street has become eighty percent fast food restaurants. Its shocking to think that so many people are willing to eat something so bad for you just because its cheap. I know that many can’t afford to buy anything else, but for the people who can they should be trying to live a healthier life style.
It’s strange to think that there used to only be one or two fast food restaurants in an area. When you look around now you cant go more than five miles with out some sort of fast food restaurant. They are everywhere.
Last year one of my professors did a project in which he showed us a picture of a fast food restaurant, and then would ask us to guess where it was. He would then proceed to show the opposite side of the street. The one that shocked me the most was the Egyptian pyramid. Since they are such a big attraction, the closet thing to them is a McDonalds. There were others as well, temples in Japan, outside of the Eiffel tower. They shouldn’t be able to put fast food restaurants everywhere, it just seems ridiculous to be touring Egypt but craving a Big Mac from home.
Weekly Statement 11/16
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing Culture Jam this week I have though a lot about whether I am for or against consumerism. The time that we are ending this book is quite close to the biggest day of consumerism in America, Black Friday. I was watching the news a couple days ago and found out that Black Friday wasn’t called black because of the fact that there were so many people out. Black Friday actually got its name from the economy, it is the day in which our economy isn’t in the “RED” or bad zone. It is strange to think that our economy revolves so much around consumerism, and buying things. But if there weren’t people buying things, a lot of people wouldn’t have jobs to help them maintain a lifestyle.
I personally have never gone out on Black Friday, but even the days after it is filled with over crowded malls and stuffed parking lots. Holidays used to be about giving things that were personal, but slowly consumerism has changed the holidays into the time of giving expensive clothing and Mac book computers. It’s strange to think about how much has changed in just the past thirty or so years.
Another thing that has changed in the past years is consumerism and Fast Food. Fast Food restaurants have become way more popular, and because of the demand there are a ton more of them. Last week they put up a subway on the street right by the house I grew up in. My dad owns a gas station that is on the opposite side of the street. It’s a family owned gas station in which my grandparents owned before him. I was looking at the picture of Fisher Fuel and the neighboring community from twenty-five years ago. There was only a McDonalds at the time, since then this one street has become eighty percent fast food restaurants. Its shocking to think that so many people are willing to eat something so bad for you just because its cheap. I know that many can’t afford to buy anything else, but for the people who can they should be trying to live a healthier life style.
It’s strange to think that there used to only be one or two fast food restaurants in an area. When you look around now you cant go more than five miles with out some sort of fast food restaurant. They are everywhere.
Last year one of my professors did a project in which he showed us a picture of a fast food restaurant, and then would ask us to guess where it was. He would then proceed to show the opposite side of the street. The one that shocked me the most was the Egyptian pyramid. Since they are such a big attraction, the closet thing to them is a McDonalds. There were others as well, temples in Japan, outside of the Eiffel tower. They shouldn’t be able to put fast food restaurants everywhere, it just seems ridiculous to be touring Egypt but craving a Big Mac from home.
Here are my final thoughts on Kalle Lasn’s Culture Jam. While it’s an interesting set of ideas, I feel that it didn’t need to be so long. I guess I am feeling this way because of the amount of information Kalle repeats. If it wasn’t the same few ideas repeated again and again without much in terms of new bones to chew on I think it would have gone smoother. Well… his style isn’t that gripping either but I cannot really complain about that. What I can complain about is one section of the book that made me throw down the book and question the level of intelligence of the author. I’m sorry but when the author off handedly says something that contradicts everything he has been rallying against from the start. Well… I lost it. Someone please explain to me what Kalle was talking about on the bottom of page 168?
ReplyDelete“the new American dream is simply to approach life full-on, without undue fear or crippling self-censorship, pursuing joy and novelty as if tomorrow you’ll be in the ground.”
To me that sentence and the paragraph its attached to smell of the very idea that got us into this mess. And Lasn thinks that this is the highest form of a culture jammer? To be someone who only lives for today? Parties like it are their last day and to deal with problems after you jump into the mess? What the Hell! Doesn’t this read like it’s the viewpoint of the people he’s fighting against? People who only care about the bottom line and will leave the problem for later on? Surely he didn’t mean it. Surely he is not living up to the saying
“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
At any rate. It was an interesting take. And while I am still reeling from his statement I think that there are many more that are worthy of being noted.
After finishing Culture Jam, it seemed that, although I feel much more informed about consumerism in America, Lasn did not necessarily win me over entirely with his argument. I know that revolutions take radical actions on the part of the citizens but the vast majority of his suggestions seemed contradictory to his statement about not taking out your rage on the middlemen of the corporations. For instance the suggestion to request bills be sent to you when the company makes a mistake does not seem like it would be very effective as companies have to deal with difficult clients often.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I do support the theory of throwing monkey wrenches into the corporate machine when the opportunity presents itself. Lasn states, “How we respond personally to the small things determines to a great extent how we respond collectively to the big things. Our everyday life is where the revolution unfolds. That’s where the guerrilla actions take place…” This seems like it could possibly work but only if many people got involved otherwise corporations will just write you off as a thorny consumer. It would take for this mindset to be accepted on a large scale for the message to hit home that, while corporations have many resources at their fingertips, America’s independence was won to gain the freedom for it’s citizens. When the domination of the corporation begins to infringe and diminish this freedom, a revolution must begin again; however, the best way to go about this remains to be seen either through Lasn’s approach or through a more diplomatic and realistic process.
Culture Jam presented many arguments that supported individual expressions of freedom and that went against the mainstream culture of consumerism. But Like Hannah said in her response, I don't think Lasn brought anything new to the plate. Everything he discussed in his book has been mentioned before, almost so much to the point that it is common sense in our minds that revolution against the elites results in progress and change.
ReplyDeleteIt's always exciting to read material that speaks to us as readers in a tone that is relatable, understandable, and at our level. It's also exciting to read on a topic that makes us feel as though we are a little more in control of our own lives, validating rebellion as acts of freedom and as truly "cool" behavior. But that doesn't make the material new or provocative, it just means that Lasn is telling us what we want to hear- that we the people have the power to overthrow the corporate elites up top.
I think that in order for real change to begin to take place, the public needs to learn the language of the corporate that we're dealing with instead of trying to incite a rebellious attitude against a system we don't completely understand.
This week for my statements I decided to respond to Mitch Epstein’s photography surrounding our energy consumption in addition to my take on today’s lecture that was filled with various housing options from across the globe. When looking at Epstein’s body of work I was amazing at the effectiveness of each photo. The pictures were subtle but still portrayed a message. When I think of energy, I typically think of it on a smaller scale. I think of the lights in my room, the cars I drive, the water I use to wash my hands, shower, clean and so much more. Epstein’s photography gets you thinking about the origins of the energy using and what it is doing to the environment around the plants where it originates. When we make efforts to save energy in our lives we all think of the little day-to-day chores but in reality how much does this affect the massive sources of energy and how does it affect others. In my opinion, Epstein is sending a few important messages with his seemingly subtle photographs.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I am having a hard time understanding what I am supposed to take from looking at all of the pictures of the housing from around the world. I think that some of the living styles that are being displayed would never be effective in the way that we live today in the US and I know that this may be the point but I do not think it will change the type of living I choose to have, as I make living decisions in upcoming years. I may find ways to conserve energy within my own home but I do not see myself building a house entirely from mud or woven branches to do that in higher doses. I understand that energy is an issue that needs to be addressed in everyday lives but I think there is a practical balance that I have to personally find. Overall, the moral of the story is that I will not be building or living in a clay home anytime soon.
Mitch Epstein’s work is haunting because is possesses a surreal quality while capturing a real landscape. I believe he was most successful in his American Power series, in the pictures that were able to subtly capture the juxtaposition of industry, nature, and man’s habitation. I think the best picture that captures this is the Amos Coal Power Plant in West Virginia. This piece is successful because it draws the viewers eye first to the white house and gardens, a picture of rural small town America, and then brings the eyes back to the fog and the factory that emerges from it. The subtlety of the factory actually helps to emphasis its negative effect because it appears to have a looming affect, as some beast intangibly emerging from the fog, taking shape just before it is upon us. I also enjoy the Trans-Alsaka Pipline picture because the pipeline has a sinister but beautiful quality; sinister because of the way it surfaces, so very industrial against the wild landscape, and beautiful because of its pure clean white color. I love the juxtaposition of these two things because it draws you back time and again to the image and yet leaves a foreboding feeling. I think Epstein’s work is successful because it is able to bring environmental issues that seem so far off and unrelated to everyday life, and contextualizes them by juxtaposing them with living spaces and beauty that I would like to preserve. It forces me to think about the consequences of industry because bring them into my backyard per say.
ReplyDeleteA few things in this reading of Culture Jam really stuck out to me. One situation that Lasn discussed is how corporations are empowered by “us.” The only reason that they have become as big and successful as they are is because of us, the consumers. They put so much money and effort into advertising and making us believe that we need their product that we are influenced and actually end up purchasing their product. If we ignored their ads and steered clear of their products, they would eventually die. However, clearly not enough people are inspired not to avoid these products and/or corporations, which is why these companies remain at large.
ReplyDeleteAnother point Lasn made was that it isn’t necessary to completely destroy corporations, but simply to “recode” or “reprogram” them is more like what needs to be done; that incorporation rules need to be rewritten. He states that these new rules need to be written with more of the public’s opinions in mind. I found that a lot of what he was expressing in this section deals with getting the public more involved in economic decisions. For example, there was a protest outside a McDonald’s and when a reporter asked one of the protesters why they were there, the protester explained that they weren’t there protesting against the fact that there was a McDonald’s there. They were protesting the fact that they didn’t have a say in putting the McDonald’s there in the first place, that there was no public consent involved in the decision.
In response to the past week, one of the most dominant concepts is that of Culture Jam. I find most of the concepts in the book to be completely insane, since there is no way that commercials and corporations can have all people in America brainwashed to the point that we no longer know why we buy the products that we buy. There is some substance to the claims of the author, since commercials and advertisements do persuade people to buy certain brands, however there is no brainwashing that occurs. Consumers are aware of the products that they are purchasing, and apparently have some sort of need or want for that product. Another topic that Culture Jam discussed, which I actually did agree with, was the fact that corporations, and the individuals that run them must display some sort of responsibility. When a corporation is run poorly, the executives who made the decision to manage the resources poorly should experience some type of recourse for their actions. One example in which these consequences were necessary was the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. After the BP oil spill, the CEO was granted a golden parachute, in which he collected a large sum of money and was merely moved to a different position, but, as Culture Jam suggests, these individuals should have been held responsible for their negligence. It seems that in our society, corporations have taken on their own individual personas, and have become living organisms, in which the operators are responsible for nothing, and only the stock holders and investors suffer the consequences of poor management
ReplyDelete