Imagine watching a horror film and not being able to look away when an unsuspecting victim is about to fall prey to a ruthless killer. You would see images most would prefer not to imagine. In the collective showcase If Artists Ran The Media, it is clear that turning a blind eye on reality is not an option with this group. Sculpture, photography, sketches, paintings and illustrations portray how mass media news manipulates reality and what we get are prefabricated lies. The show should be a reminder to all that news is only what the government wants us to know and is not news at all.
The show suggests that news vehicles all have their own agenda. Million dollar companies and government run agencies are the ones putting the news out there so what we see is only what they want us to see. In one piece the artist loops a video and audio feed showing former President George W. Bush calling on troops to win the war on terrorism and fight for their country. Words and video are recorded over an image of marching soldiers getting killed while words of greed and lies spew from Bushs’ mouth. This piece is a great example of what the core of the show is all about: media manipulation.
Several artists focused on advertising outlets prevalent in mainstream culture. Artist Spencer Ockwells’ watercolors uncover how oblivious we are as a society. A pack of Camel cigarettes mark the Surgeon Generals warning “Contains Carbon Monoxide.” The pack is glossy and appealing and legal even though it contains poisonous chemicals. It actually reads “Camel Cancer-Big, Fat, and Delicious” mocking how incredulous it is that people buy these. His other piece shows mega brand Nike with a workforce of Nike clad robots and a hitleresque dictator reminiscent of a slave workforce. He is cracking the whip for faster production. These pieces are just examples of what lies behind brand recognition and status quo. It is the consumer’s responsibility to know what is really in a product and what goes into making it.
One last example of a work from the show is “Shit on a Wire” depicting that literal image. As a population we don’t think twice about media pollution and it goes across telephone wires and becomes part of our everyday lives. It is this piece and others that highlight how blind we are to atrocities of life.
The underlying message of this show is to not believe what is said or heard on news outlets. It is up to the consumer to uncover the truths behind products and where and how they are created. It is a must see for those tired of media and government corruption. What is being forced upon us consists of lies and biased opinions. We can no longer be numb and brainwashed by companies with dishonest agendas. The show If Artists Ran the Media is running though February 20th in the C33 Gallery at Columbia College Chicago.
Overall I felt it was a well written piece. It had a strong opening and closing. You gave a couple of examples to back up some of your ideas of how it related to the overall idea of the gallery. Although you did give a strong opinion about how the works had to do with the media and the lies that it feeds to audeience, I felt that in a way it did not give your own personal thought to the pieces itself. Yes, you related it to the overall idea, but I want to know more about what you think of the piece itself. It just seemed like there wasn't alot said after you introduced a piece. So maybe thinking about adding that. Overall it was a successful review.
ReplyDeleteKerri, thanks for kicking off our workshop last week. I hope you found our discussion of your work helpful.
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