Plastic Bottles

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Artist: Chris Jordan

Title:  Plastic Bottles

Media: Photograph manipulation

Dimensions:  60" X 120"
Date: 2007

Chris Jordan is a photographer from Seattle. As stated by the Washington Speakers Bureau Website Chris Jordan's work tends to focus on American consumerism culture. His work has been featured in many magazine and websites and he has spoken at many colleges and universities. He also stated with an interview with PBS that "I might be an artist, but I also might be an activist. And I'm trying to be both in a way that honors both and doesn't stray too far into either." 

Kimberley Mok from the website Tree Hugger states that with his photography and digital manipulation skills, Chris's artworks, like Plastic Bottles shows a  "'slow-motion apocalypse' inflicted on the planet by the unbridled consumerism of a disposable society. Each of his pieces compels the second thought that many usually never give." She also states that Chris Jordan does a great job showing that each person's action does add up. As Mok states, Plastic bottles shows "two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes." 

The Huffington Post states that  bottles break down into smaller fragments and then "those fragments absorb toxins that pollute our waterways, contaminate our soil, and sicken animals (which we then eat).  Also posted on the Huffington post was the statement that "The Earth Policy Institute factors the energy used to pump, process, transport and refrigerate our bottled water as over 50 million barrels of oil every year."

As many people know oil, gas, and coal companies are big contributors to the green house gas emissions that are heating up our environment. However; all the blame of the global warming should not be put on the companies-our consumerists culture is a big factor in global warming. We need oil, gas, and coal companies to produce vast, cheap amounts of energy so the manufacturing of our, many times unnecessary products, can be made. We as consumers tend not to think that we are hurting the Earth by doing something so little as not recycling. But as previously stated by the Huffington post, millions of barrels are used just to make bottles and with that tons of greenhouse gases were emitted-it's just going to get hotter. Many people don't feel the need to advocate for the decrease of energy coming from  of oil, gas, and coal companies...but is it so hard  to recycle and feel at least a bit at peace with the Earth?

http://www.monoscope.com/2007/08/chris_jordan_plastic_bottles_2.html

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08072009/transcript3.html

http://www.treehugger.com/culture/top-5-environmental-artists-shaking-up-the-art-world/page2.html