By Pam Hadder
Purpose, purposeful – these words suggest a gentle-but-firm
nudge in a planned direction. When we
lack purpose we drift in limbo versus living – most of us realize that when we
reach personal crossroads. Lately I have
been thinking a lot about consumerism, commerce and capitalism – or the Big Cs,
as I call them! The Big Cs are weeds
with lovely flowers – in moderation they are good for all (employment,
diversity, opportunity, growth etc.), but if left unchecked we become
overrun. Unchecked capitalism results in
the poor being exploited to make the rich richer, and a 2015 report by Oxfam
suggests that we have reached an almost incomprehensible extreme. According to their report, approximately 80
people are controlling half of the Earth’s wealth. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/19/global-wealth-oxfam-inequality-davos-economic-summit-switzerland
A friend of mine recently scanned a handful of old photo prints to share with a
long-time pal. Her pal was delighted to receive the vintage images, and remarked
that these few images meant so much to her amid a huge personal stockpile of
electronic photos. The woman felt that she
used to live more and take fewer pictures, and she also wondered what would
happen to all of the stuff she had saved on jump drives, disks etc? Would anyone care; who would ever have time to
go through her thousands and thousands of digital images?
I appreciated and understood this woman’s viewpoint, but as
a trained photographer I must confess I love image making. In recent years, I have had to be satisfied
with the typical Mommy’s “goof proof” camera and smart phone pics – I have settled
for the ease and immediacy of digital image making. Long gone are the hours spent shooting,
developing, printing and (in some cases) hand retouching or colourizing my
prints. I fondly recall the complete
experience, however, including the pungent aromas of the darkroom – developer and
fixer. Those hours passed like seconds –
I was completely immersed in the flow of creating and experimenting. I never yearned to generate MORE at a FASTER
rate, nor did I foresee that digital image-making would surpass and overtake
film photography – the sense back then was that digital would never match the
QUALITY of film.
Technology has made it increasingly easy to create, share and publish images –
this too has both positive and negative implications. The aforementioned anecdote explores our relationships with images and image making, and it is just one small taste of a complex situation. Access to technology has given voice to the voiceless, has broadened
potential experiences, and has allowed for real-time remote global connections
– but it has also allowed for exploitation à la cyber bullying, false
presentation of person and value; and theft/misappropriation of material and
ideas. We have also been pressured to evaluate, respond and produce material at an increasingly rapid pace. So is
there a connection between global trends favouring extreme capitalism,
consumerism and commerce and how we interact and share information – even on a
personal basis? I think so – technology does not allow for pause, reflection
and human contact. We are duped into
believing that a frenetic pace with incredible potential volume is meaningful.
Further, we are expected to trust in statistics measuring electronic
“engagement,” while eschewing opportunities for real, in-person connection and
seeing traditional methods as dated or low value.
As an artist I find pleasure in creation, and immersion in
technology can be stimulating for a time, but one also risks becoming soul-less, isolated/isolating and reactionary. Are we making meaning or just making more stuff? Who are we really talking to, sharing with,
and to what end? If you are like me, you
are hopeful that our actions mean more; that they constitute more than an
elaborate fantasy or, worse yet, meaningless busy-work. For creative people
that resist the tech push, there is a risk of “not existing” in modern terms –
traditional means of expression get overrun with technological volume and
perceived value. Furthermore, if
commerce is king, and you aren’t financially well-heeled, you are considered a
failure, and your existence, as well as your credibility may be questioned (are
you feeling the Big Cs here?).
That grim realization pushes my thoughts of purpose and purposeful toward “re-purposed.”
Kudos to those enterprising types that reduce, reuse, recycle and even make a
living selling art, clothing, décor items, furniture, and so on, all made from
materials that might have ended up in landfill sites. It’s hardly new – the
hippies fighting for the environment in the 70s understood the importance of environmental stewardship and equitable use of resources. Although technology has helped many
of these small companies engage and find customers, most of them are not
getting rich doing quality work that is good for the planet. I am wondering if we were able to balance
capitalism if we might see simplicity as success and that we might enjoy LIFE
more?
How has humanity allowed 1% of the planet to control half its wealth? Imagine if governments stopped allowing so
much foreign investment, urban sprawl, urbanization, gentrification, and so on
– what if we carefully managed our resources and infrastructure, taking care to
repurpose buildings, to protect green space and natural space; to ensure that
good homes were affordable for all, to consider the needs of all citizens when
making decisions, and to allow small business enterprises to thrive? Perhaps we need to unplug, disconnect, and
physically survey how much we are producing, consuming and holding on to; to
take stock of what really matters and how we can do our part to ensure this
world is a fairer, better place for all. Ultimately it is a value assessment -
what really is necessary for our wellness and the sustainability of the planet. And at what point do our actions cross the boundaries
of necessity and become driven by greed?
