The Consumer

Made entirely from recycled materials. The frame was given to me by another artist downsizing their studio. The canvas is an old piece of plywood, a stained tablecloth and foam board. The face is made from four different types of plastic bags and old acrylic paint. I have deconstructed old cassette tapes and weaved the tape along old construction nails. The newspaper clippings were painted with blue watercolors being thrown away by a neighbor. Random pieces of plastic, buttons, bottle caps, 6 pack rings, drapery samples, mardi gras beads, albums covers, presciption medicine bottles, ornaments and rubber dinosaurs make up the rest of this piece. The Consumer consumes all and destroys the environment in the process.

This piece was constructed to make us think about how we consume. Fashioned as a stand alone floor sculpture piece and in the style of a tabletop frame, I wanted The Consumer to evoke the idea of a giant. Maybe this sits on the end table in a giant’s home. I hope that the large size allows people to think about the way they consume; life, social media, goods and materials. Do you consume in moderation? Can you take a step back and reflect on your attachment to fast fashion, pornography, social media, etc? How do you consume? Are you the giant consumer? What do we consume? I focus primarily within the idea of environmental consumption BUT I feel that in today’s world we often take, take, take without thinking about the consequences of that consumption. Your consumption could center around love, food, friendship, materials, and more.

What feelings and thoughts does this piece evoke for you?