Look at Chris JordanLinks to an external site.’s digital images from his various themes: Midway, Running the Numbers, Intolerable Beauty and In Katrina’s Wake. Describe how you think his work reflects ideas about nature, knowledge and technology. In addition, make a comment about the aesthetic nature of his work. Can we find a sense of beauty in the underbelly of consumer societies? What about in destruction and over-consumption? Be specific in your answers. Give additional examples or references if you want.
- Identify which prompt you selected. (5 points)
- Compose a written response to the prompt. Be thorough and address each point or question in the selection. You can choose to do this as an essay or use a question/answer format. (15 points)
- Your response must be at least 150 words. (5 points)
Thanks for sharing your reflection! Finding connections in a piece of art is a cumulative experience, drawing on the information we bring with us and that which is offered by the artist. Viewing an artwork is really an interactive experience but we don’t always think about it in those terms. I enjoy the thought-provoking perspective of Chris Jordan's work. Even when the subject matter is difficult or unpleasant I think there can be an aesthetic quality but there is also often a visual message that carries its own impact. I was struck by your choice of the burned trees in Mariposa Grove. It made me think of how forest fires sweep through an area and are intensely destructive but then in the aftermath, that fire creates openings in the landscape for new growth. Seeds which can only be cracked open in the heat of flames produce sprouts, and the environment is renewed by the application of ash which contains nutrients, etc. Those burned trees become monuments to the life cycle and eventually nursery trees in themselves. The lens through which we view the world changes our perceptions...