Circuit boards by Chris Jordan

The growth of digital communication has created a disconnect between people and their physical communities. While web platforms encourage global correspondence, they take time away from face-to-face interactions with neighbors and the local landscape. This isolation makes it difficult for residents to understand and address the social and environmental issues that surround them. In other words, when the physical manifestation of a problem is out of sight, it is easy to put it out of mind as well.

This disconnect is reinforced by what Flemish philospher, Lieven De Cauter, calls capsularization. He warns us of a culture of sealing ourselves off from the external environment through individual car use, isolated suburban living, and dwindling use of public space.

e-Bank by Chris Jordan

In order to fuse virtual networks with local community spaces, designers are finding creative ways to integrate digital media into the built environment. At the most basic level, digital images create an emotional connection between the viewer, the subject matter, and the physical space where they are displayed. This emotional connection is illustrated in Chris Jordan’s photography addressing unbridled consumerism. The photos shown confront viewers with bold images of the wastes they create but rarely encounter in landfills.

Rayna Gordon-Hellman
rayna@medized.com
415-994-6549 office

Crushed Cars by Chris Jordan

Spools by Chris Jordan