Seldom does one come across a scene of or similar to bodies grotesquely crammed into a dumpster when walking down the streets of Chicago, Paris, or Hong Kong. Mark Jenkins took advantage of these rare sights, and mass-produced them worldwide, instilling in us incredulous bewilderment. The contemporary artist has created his own unique form of renegade street sculpture, the consequence of which fluctuates based on the viewer. The lack of appropriate response some of these sculptures deserve directly affects the obliviousness of our society. For one to walk past a man in the middle of the sidewalk wearing a sleeping bag over his body and not say anything is baffling. The bystander has obviously not fully comprehended the image he just witnessed, or is either constantly in the presence of people who chose the newest sleeping bag to a set of clothes. And far anyone to not inspect, report or even acknowledge that which appears to be a dead body, is inhuman in itself. Therefore might one say that humanities progression towards blind coherence, apathy, and obliviousness is making us something other then human? Jenkins claims his work has no immediate message, and just offers that “if it gets urbanites to question the authenticity of their surroundings [it’s] good.” Whether he admits it or not, the art holds a clear message, because like any art, it’s meant to be viewed, and reflected on. The sculptures get you to think, and interrupt the actuality and realness of the reality around you. Jenkins and his kind of reckless thinkers are the abnormality our world needs to remain normal—and for humankind to remain human.
For More Artwork : http://www.xmarkjenkinsx.com/
This post really describes the zeitgeist of our times well. Through the internet and other technology, people have been desensitized to violent or vulgar images. It seems that if someone saw the scenes depicted above on the streets, they would react, yet this doesn't always seem to be true in our 'age of technology.' Even now, I am not really moved by the images because I have been exposed to violent images of war and movies that depict equally if not more violent scenes. People are being desensitized by their overexposure to violence in the media.
ReplyDeleteThis post really hits the nail on the head about this new age of Information which floods us with so many images and so much information that we at one point become desensitized. The fact that many do not react to such images is quite shocking, since it is not commonplace at all to see bodies in garbage bags, and SHOULD stimulate a reaction. The message this post communicates, that "human kind [needs] to remain human", completely brought these images in full circle for me. Is technology really dehumanizing us? Is it reducing us to emotionless, mindless couch-potatoes? Is it not human nature to express emotion and care for other humans, and if we are not behaving as so, where does that bring us?
ReplyDeleteThis article was really interesting. I liked the fact that you broke away from our curriculum a bit and applied the zeitgeist idea to a bigger picture. Those pictures really made me think about my own actions. If I walked past a sculpture of a man wearing a sleeping bag, I would definitely be perplexed. But would I say anything? Probably not. Then I wondered why. Probably because as humans, we tend to run away from anything that's different, whether different means dangerous or unique. Either way, our surroundings require our attention.
ReplyDeleteI was really impressed with this post, Jake, because it was different from the others, yet relates perfectly to our discussions. These images disgusted my initially, because I did not know they were done purposefully. After reading your post, I became even more disgusted at the lack of response from society. I do not believe this is somehow an "immunity" we built up from being exposed to vulgar images on the web. Rather, I believe that society as a whole has become so selfish and individualistic. We do what benefits ourselves and disregard others. Therefore, someone may not go out of their way to help others, say those lying on the streets.
ReplyDeleteI love the title of this post. One can imagine a child, who has not yet been desensitized by the media and violent films, would be puzzled at this scene, while a rushing parent drags them by the arm hurrying off to school,or a doctor's appointment. I feel that in our rushed world we don't take the time to absorb our surroundings or reach out to people in need. This art, in a sense, connects to the people ignoring the presence of homeless people in the street. The fact that we as a society can ignore another human presence baffles me, and yet we do it everyday... To take it to a whole new level of ignoring a body bag in the street isn't even coherent.
ReplyDeleteThis post really fits into what we've been talking about, but I like how you took it in a new direction. I was pretty shocked after reading your post and looking closely at the photos. How could our society have come to this state, where bodies in bags are not being noticed? Have we really become this oblivious to our surroundings? Or maybe we've always been like this? I also liked the idea presented in your title. A child is still innocent and hasn't been exposed to the distortion of reality yet. He or she would most likely notice something like this, and point it our. The mother, on the other hand, would probably try to shield her child from this sight, to protect. But from what? This is the world we live in, and as much as we want it to, her protection will not last a lifetime. In White Noise, when Murray is talking about the television and his students, he says that "...they have to learn to look as children again." Children are curious, and ask questions, while adults, just try to get through life as fast as possible.
ReplyDeleteAlthough these images seem disturbing, I am captivated and fascinated by them because, in a way, they are beautiful. They cast light on common and negative events (death and homelessness) in an artistic and creative way. The crude and violent image of a man lying face-down in water is juxtaposed with the angelic array of balloons lifting him up. Even in the face of death, individuals grow stronger through optimism, endurance, and faith. The depressing view of people bound in garbage bags becomes optimistic due to the fact that they are all lying together. Even though the homeless lead desolate lives, this image presents a sense of hope, community, and unity among them. As I sifted through the other photos from Jenkins's website, I noticed that most of the art actually beautified our environment (for ex. the giraffe tugging at a plastic bag stuck in a tree). Therefore, I do not believe that these are strictly negative images. But I do agree that by walking right past these images, people are ignoring their important underlying messages and uses.
ReplyDeleteI really like how this post was able to relate perfectly to our discussions in class. We have spent a great deal of time talking about how all of the technology these days that were exposed to has consequently desensitized society. Unfortunaltly and it is very shameful to admit, but society has become numbed towards their surroundings and this artist helps to expose that to the public. It kinda of causes you think that maybe technology is also contributing to our loss of humanity because it is our emotions and our awareness that distinguishes each and everyone of us.
ReplyDeleteTo respond to Jake's question, I think that these images and ideas are making us less human and more societal. We convince ourselves every day that we can think freely, be who we wish and break away from the crowd. But can we? As Tati said, we have had a loss of humanity. We are focusing on society. Our goals are more relevant to those around us rather than ourselves. This is obvious but subtle in practically all of our decisions. For example, in White Noise Jack is learning German because he is afraid those around him will reject his teaching without knowing that language. He is extrinsically motivated to learn, and even though he is aware of this, that doesn't stop him. In fact, it encourages him to try again. He is faced with two options: be who you are and fail, or be society and WIN. An important question arises from this: we perceive we have the freedom of choice, but are we "free" if our options are in the form of ultimatums?
ReplyDeleteThis post caught my eye, obviously form the visuals provided. My first thought: is that guy dead? Followed by: Why is he holding balloons? I then proceeded to read your post. It is amazing that people would be oblivious to such eccentric behavior. Jill wrote, "Our goals are more relevant to those around us rather than ourselves." I completely agree with this. We have become so vulnerable to peer criticism, that our main goal has become to join as a mass, rather than isolate yourself. By doing so, our attention from the everyday happenings around us have disappeared, and now, we face a predicament where we must slow down, take a look around us, absorb what it means, and process that information. This lack of processing has led to a superficiality in our analytical abilities.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that people's apathy might make us seem inhuman struck me as a very powerful message. I do find it striking that people do not call for help in situations where they should, so sates the concept of bystander apathy, however it is simply human nature. This doesn't mean we're less human and thinking like animals, it means we are more self-centered and less benevolent. A less benevolent society is certainly not one we would like to live in, and it is striking to think that we elect to watch out for ourselves in times when helping others seems to be the rational thing to do; however the fact that we can decide that this is wrong does show a deeper level of thinking, and just seems to prove that we are humans that abide by the laws of human nature, but is that something to be proud of?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post Jake, the first thing that popped into my head was the Bodies Exhibit, in which you could walk around and see human anatomy. This too was controversial to many people. Half the people I talked to said it was disgusting and that they had to leave before finishing the exhibit. The other half was fascinated. This caused me to wonder at what caused the rift between the two sets of people. Was it technology dehumanizing us and allowing us to detach ourselves as Tati suggests? Or was it a more individual distinction? If the latter than wouldn't they also naturally avoid even acknowledging what the artist was showing? For them surely it isn't simply seeing a physical representation of a former living creature - it's a way of viewing death that some cant handle, much like Jack from White Noise.
ReplyDeleteThis article comes as no surprise to me. We've all heard of the case in Brooklyn in which a woman was raped and murdered in a residential neighborhood as bystanders who heard her screams assumed someone else would call 911. Or more recently, a homeless man who was stabbed defending a woman from a mugger was left lying on the ground for 30 minutes as onlookers walked by, taking no action. The society that we live in today is not a pretty one, and many people have a blatant disregard for the suffering of others.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Jake. The first thing this artwork reminded me of was the youtube video Mr.Gutherman showed us of the mushroom cloud that was digitally inserted into a news feed of the weather. In both cases, the artist responsible seemed to be making an effort to shock us out of the stupor many of us walk around in. By opening our eyes with these shocking images, Jenkins and the other artist hope we'll keep them open long enough to take a closer look at the rest of the world around us
ReplyDeleteGreat post Jake. Americans sit home and take a long look at their computer screens and spend hours analyzing texts from boys, but these days if its not digital no one really takes a second look. We look for what we expect to see and we are given our expectations from the internet and from movies. Indirectly, these technologies are forming us to be more apathetic because we look past any trouble that we do not want to get ourselves into. We are a selfish race of people who find comfort and stick to what will tell us what we like to hear: Technology.
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