The "overlook" was created by Anthony White who is a Australian visual artist, his work explores the narrative of consumerism and gluttony in society. In this painting we can see a range of different household and luxury items that are all grouped together these are all things that people buy and consume. The more expensive and high value items are placed towards the bottom of the painting like the credit card, Balenciaga bag and the stacks of money. Whereas, the more essential items like the cans of soup and the passport are towards the top of the painting. Within this image, we can also time bombs on top of some items which could indicate a serious aftermath. White could essentially be pointing to that fact that if we don’t stop consuming irresponsibly there is going to be an explosion of disaster. The overall painting looks colourful and appealing but when you look closely you can see ‘caution’ signs which are like warning signs to the viewer telling us to be careful of our overconsumption. Furthermore, I also find it interesting how there is a 21st birthday sign in this painting. The age 21 is seen as a milestone in the modern day, people tend to go all out on this day by throwing parties or buying really expensive items that they may not even use again. Essentially our birthdays are the times when we over-consume items. I think White does a good job of depicting how consumerism looks like in this society. I feel like I can relate to this this artwork because consumerism is heavily prevalent within younger generation. We tend to buy a lot of clothing and material possessions that we don’t need it and becomes a cycle that doesn’t stop unless we actively break it.
This is a piece of art using objects made by an artist called Avery Ullyot. In this piece Ullyot explores the glamorisation of consumerism within society. Within this picture you can see a trolley split into half with disco ball balloons attached to it. The objects are also against a white wall where you can clearly see the shadows. This gives the photograph a creepy effect. The balloons communicate the idea of glorifying consumerism and as a society we tend to romanticise it so that we don’t have to deal with the reality. The trolley being split into half could symbolise the destructiveness of consumerism and how it can have a negative impact on our society. We can also see in this photo that the trolley is empty, which could symbolise the void that consumerism leaves us with. We buy so many items as humans but it never satisfies us because we are always left wanting more. I can relate to this artwork in many ways, as I have also glorified consumerism and fell into the trap of overconsumption. It can be hard to see the consequences of your actions when you are so engrossed in them. I think that Ullyot does a good does a good job of using found objects to bring awareness to consumerism. The photograph is very simple yet it has an effective message, it enables to even examine ourselves and how we contribute to a consumerist society.
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