adaptation: effects of habit

 

 

 

This past year, it seems, I’ve been struck time and time again by moments that gave me pause. Nagged by an inexplicable feeling, I found myself compelled to document these places and events.

The theme of adaptation and the coincidence of Darwin’s 200th birthday in February 2009 provided an appropriate link to the curation of select photos. The photos, upon first glace, seem mundane, yet further investigation reveals an absurdity in each; a serene park bench at sunset rendered unusable by floodwaters, a well planned neighborhood where houses were never built, and finally an abandoned gas station, one of four in my immediate neighborhood.

These images come from a collection of photographs I’ve taken over the course of the year. They clearly illustrate the occurrence of change in our environment, our economy, and our lifestyle. Threaded throughout and between the images are selections from Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, echoing the call for adaptation.

 

 

good 50x70 poster competition submission: lesson one

There is little doubt, as a collective global community, we are failing our world’s children. All too often, child labour comes at the price of education. At the onset, child labour seems a legitimate solution to short term economic problems for families of developing nations. It could even be argued the character a child might build through honest work is invaluable.

The problem, however, stems from children working long, labourious hours, at the cost of a real childhood and worse, a healthy education. Illiteracy only leads to more poverty, and in order to break this vicious cycle there must be a true push for education. Children are not short-term financial resources; rather, their education is a long-term investment for the home, for a nation and for our world community. Every child is deserving of an education and as a global community we must ask ourselves, in the end, what is the lesson we ultimately want to teach?

This is the question illustrated by the Lesson One poster. Upon first glance, it seems an innocent, mundane exercise taught through child’s lettering and craft. A play on words and the A–F grading system, the poster expresses the brutal truth that the only lesson too many children learn is one of long hard labour. It visualizes this truth and the harsh reality that without proper education, a child may never grow beyond simple lettering and kindergarten craft. The One Lesson we need to learn is simple: child labour isn’t working.

 

 

good 50x70 poster competition submission: are we there yet?

Are we there yet? No. We aren’t there, and until every gas pump is left abandoned we won’t ever arrive.

This poster is inspired by the great American road trip, and a nagging, tired child’s question: “Are we there yet?” Every parent has heard it, and every child has said it. Taken out of context, I’ve reinterpreted this popular phrase. In my neighborhood alone, I’ve noticed a rising number of empty, abandoned gas stations, and I can’t help but wonder… “Are we there yet?” and if not, “How much farther do we have to go?”

I use this metaphor to address the larger global issue of climate change. This poster is an easily identifiable visual and verbal expression meant to expose our worst nagging habits, while simultaneously asking our leaders when we might attain our environmental goals. The distance seems improbable, but it is crucial we surmount every possible obstacle, every road–block, and every detour to one day reach that final destination called sustainable energy. Until we collectively commit to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, climate change will continue to threaten all the world’s species, human and animal. It’s time to lead through laws and conversation, but most importantly through action.

 

 

msu faculty exhibition: 2008 spectacle

2008 Spectacle is a caricature of this year’s election through the lens of a National Champion. This piece was submitted on Election Day, November 4th, when the winner was still unknown.

2008 Spectacle pulls from the verbal language and visual imagery of collegiate athletics to draw a comparison between two parallel fan commitments: devotion to college football and devotion to political partisanship. As a commentary on the staunch divide in the American two party political system, the piece provides a visual behind the “us versus them” mentality that underscores both political discussion and discord.

This football season, as a metaphorical backdrop, is as frenzied as the political season. 2008 Spectacle is inspired by recent football national champion posters expressed through the colors and typography from each campaign, as well as literal and metaphorical imagery exhibited by the obsessive media coverage of this 2008 election cycle.