Inspired by Diane Croft’s prints of landscapes, I contemplated the growing pile of discarded delivery packaging in my studio, and decided to put the two together for this personal project, using the chine collé technique. A stained-glass effect in Croft’s depiction of trees caught my eye, leading me to use the image of a church window to symbolise an historical element in this print series.
I have set out to say something about the gradual erosion, over millennia, of a sense of personal responsibility around the sourcing of food, particularly meat and meat products. From the time we were hunter-gatherers and presumably had respect for the ebb and flow of supply, until now, when we have merely to ask Alexa, and 30 mins later it is served up at the door on a bed of pizza dough or within a burger bun, what has happened? Our brains and bodies haven’t evolved particularly, but we have moved into a technological age. This technology was developed with the best of intentions: to serve a purpose; to aid humanity.
This subject is highly personal to me, as it is about food and online ordering. It would not be overstating things to say I have addiction issues. Middle of the night binge-eating and secret solo shopping trips, each internet-reliant, are not unusual. And I know I am not alone in being alone.
The beaming Amazon packaging of “One Click Smile” is juxtaposed with a chine collé linocut print in the shape of a set of church windows. Through these windows can be seen two hearts. Green with envy, they implore us to “Choose me, use me, recycle me.” It’s as though this is a church mantra, a hymn for our time. We have allowed ourselves to become hypnotised by advertising in the same way we once accepted the rule (and rules) of religion. Formerly people were under-educated; now we suffer overwhelming information overload. It’s hard to filter it out; to focus on what actually matters.
I seek to comment on the fact that we are divorced from our natural environment. Addiction to mobile technology and online activities have replaced community and any genuine connection. We crave yet more of the same damaging habits, thus proving one of the best-known definitions of madness. Something has to give.
References:
Linocuts (no date) DIANA CROFT. Available at: https://www.dianacroftart.com/linocuts.html (Accessed: 18 June 2021).
Maureen Walker's Introduction to Printmaking Blog 