Integrative Studio 2: Bridge Assignment 1

 

For my piece, I chose to do a diptych using an image of my own, and text provided by President of the United States Donald Trump, from ‘The Art of the Comeback”, published in 1997.

The original photo was taken at a Trump protest the day after he was elected. The girl on the lamp post was already wearing a bandana, but using Illustrator, I drew on a red one, in an attempt to correlate her with a modern Rosie the Riveter, as well as the implied understanding that red is a color more associated with women — as well as passion and anger. The two men, who in the original photograph play an insignificant role, have had their faces colored in blue (which is perceived as a masculine color in Western culture.) What originally was a ‘One Way’ sign has been changed to say ‘No Way’. The statement in itself is meant to be a loose interpretation for the viewer, depending on where they fall on the political spectrum. The stop symbol (coordinating with the Girl’s red bandana) has been left to communicate her resistance. Finally, what were originally awnings for the Harry Winston store across from Trump Tower, are instead upside down American Flags, to symbolize a nation in distress.

In creating this, I imagine getting numerous interpretations, all reliant on the viewer’s personal stance on the current political climate. While I personally feel empowered by this piece, I foresee that some would view it in its counterpart; with the statement above being correct and the actions of the girl being vulgar and radical.

By combining language with image, and mixing warm and cool tones, my end goal is to create a dialogue about our political actions.

 

 

Original Photograph:

SS Documentary Written Responses

Tapped (2009)

  • By 2030, 2/3rd of the world will lack access to clean water.
  • Cost of bottled water greater than gasoline
    • Water is the next empire
  • Maine
    • Farmers, small business owners was the norm
    • Nestlé arrived
      • Water mining
        • 6 billion in sales 2008
      • 75% of Earth’s surface is covered in water
        • 1% is drinkable
      • Absolute dominion
        • Nestlé gets permit in Maine before the people knew.
          • Sneaky, discreet
        • 1% a gallon tax proposed
          • Nestlé declined, “couldn’t survive that financial impact”
        • Arkansas, Colorado, Florida all started experiencing the same as Maine, with water mining companies getting permits without anyone’s knowledge.
      • It’s all about control
        • Prior, much money was spent on cleaning the water in Maine
      • February 24th, people in the village had no water
        • Nestlé still pumping.
          • California > Michigan > Maine
        • Serious political instability
      • Bottled water 1900x the cost of tap
      • World Bank value
        • 800 billion
      • in 2008, there were droughts in 35 states
      • North Carolina
        • Pepsi continued bottling at the height of drought, 400,000 gallons a day
          • Selling back to the community
          • Temporary halt was put -> Pepsi resisted
        • Atlanta -> water restriction
        • Coca Cola mined 118 million gallons in one year
        • A lot of water pollution includes plastic bottles
        • Bottled water
          • Very good ad material
            • Perrier in the 70s; “replacement for alcoholic drinks”
              • Came in a pretty green glass bottled, appealing to consumers within the middle/upper class.
            • PET plastic bottles, 1989 -> light
              • Coke, Pepsi began using PET plastic bottles; major companies proclaimed “the biggest enemy is tap water”- Pepsi
              • Models, celebrities endorse water
              • Health benefits in ads; “bottled water is perceived different/better/more pure/safer than tap water”
              • 40% of bottled water is filtered tap water
                • Aquafina, Dasani, “purified water”
              • PET/PETE
                • Paraxyline -> crude oil
                • 80% of PET -> Coke, Nestlé beverage containers
                • Cancer
                  • Communities are built on top of an oil waste field, living with the emissions that come from the plastic production companies
                • Birth defects in Corpus Cristi, 80% higher than rest of state.
              • Most bottled water is produced in state, and sold in state
                • This makes it out of reach from FDA regulations
                • Public water quality reports
                  • Bottled water companies don’t have to publish their findings
                • Testing brands,
                  • right out of the bottled there have been findings of toluene
                  • left in car for 1 week; findings of styrene – cancer causing
                • Gallon bottles
                  • Biphenyl
                  • FDA relies on studies from manufacturers
                    • FDA is in the packing industries pocket
                  • Walmart has taken a stance against use of PET
                  • In the world, the percentage of recycling bottled beverages is 50%
                    • The US only recycles 20%
                      • 30% of US bottles end up in landfills.
                    • Container deposit legislation, “Bottle Bills”
                      • 11 states
                        • fee at purchase, which is returned if you bring it back and deposit
                      • Only 6 states cover water in bottle bills
                    • Industry would prefer curbside pickup

 

 

The True Cost

  • Lucy Siegle
    • Consumed with the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry
  • Orsola De Castro
    • “Our personal communication”, fundamentally how we choose to communicate qualities of ourselves to everyone else
  • 95% of our clothes still produced in US in 1960’s, now only 3% of our clothes is made at home
  • “Fast Fashion”
    • So companies can shift and move more product
    • Words like “affordable” and “economically conscious” are used.
    • When factories can’t accommodate the brands in terms of pricing, brands move their business elsewhere, instead of changing their prices.
      • Factories abroad are struggling, and agree to cut corners in order to maintain business.
      • Bangladesh building falls, Rana Plaza
        • 931 fatalities
        • Three of the four worst tragedies in fashion, happened within one year
      • Sweatshops are presented as being financially beneficial for developing countries
        • Low standards are excused because many people are looking for work
      • Saffia Minney
        • People Tree
          • Fashion with integrity, still possible to create economic growth
        • 40 million garment factory workers in the world, 4 million in Bangladesh, over 85% are women. These garment workers in Bangladesh are the lowest paid garment workers in the world.
        • 1/6 people alive today live in the global fashion industry
        • Larhea Pepper
          • Cotton farmer in texas
          • GMO (genetically modified cotton)