The Love-Hate Relationship With Consumerism

Whether you love it or loathe it, all of us have some sort of involvement in consumerism.

Consumerism, what is it? Well, consumerism is the relationship between people and their things. It is a social and economic order and ideology that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. We shop and shop, until we drop. Yet more than the stuff itself, we love the act of finding it, the search and the anticipation. It turns out that our consumerist impulse stimulates the same part of the brain that we use when we’re on the trail of a great idea. However in the 21st century this is all the norm, the browsing selection and purchase of goods have become the activity that of modern life we live in today. Consumerism was developed in 1960’s becoming a way where people can buy anything and everything their hearts desire. Although this may seem great but the deeper you look into consumerism the more you see what is wrong with it. People used to invest in items they bought and payed to get them fixed when they were broken now we just throw the items away and get news one. As time goes on consumerism isn’t just spending endless amounts of money and time in shops, it’s a society. It’s the thing we don’t know any different, we was born into consumerism. We don’t have a choice. So why do we consume so much? Well In our generation the sign of wealth and success is the more materialistic things we have; the newest phone, flashy cars, watches and jewellery. The bigger the better is the phrase all of us live by. Always trying to compete and outdo people .

“It's the thing we don't know any different, we was born into consumerism. The bigger the better is the phrase all of us live by".

A prime artist that uses the controversial topic of consumerism in their artwork is Duane Hanson.The American artist and sculptor from Minnesota Hanson, was well known for his hyper-realistic depictions of ordinary people. His sculptures were hugely popular with the public, because of Hanson’s clever and painstaking skills on every sculpture creating tiny imperfections wrinkles and even tiny pores of human skin. “My art is not about fooling people, it’s the human attitudes I’m after-fatigue, a bit of frustration, rejection. To me there is a kind of beauty in all this.” This made the sculptors ultra life like, when initially encountered the audience would be convinced that they are in presence of another human being. When the illusion becomes realised the combination of embarrassment and amusement is encountered.

Hanson’s work is associated with hyperrealism, a movement that exaggerates the accuracy of art objects to life. Hanson created the sculptors through a complex process of casting from live models, and then recreating them in fiberglass resin, vinyl and bronze. Through his work he stereotypes mostly working and lower-middle class Americans- housewives, repairmen, office cleaners, museum guards, janitors, tourists and the homeless. The sculpture ‘The Supermarket Lady’, 1970 is based on an average American women, overweight, curlers in her hair and a cigarette in her mouth. Hanson has created a rather tired and expressionless sculptor of an American woman, she is holding onto her trolley, which is crammed to the limits with processed industrial products; chocolate cookies, vacuum packed meat and coke. All these items have been packed into her shopping trolley in bulk with excessive amounts of each item. There are non-what’s so ever of any fresh fruit or vegetables indicating she doesn’t cook. Which we all know not having any healthy cooked meals is not going to do any favor’s, as the women is a prime example of that, with blotchy skin on her face to bruises and varicose veins are all the signs of an unhealthy person. The sculpture is intriguing to look at but at the same time quite disturbing to look at; because the woman is so excessive with the food she buys. Her clothes are too tight for her. She is buying and eating too much food and exercising and moving too less, which is the main problem.

In 1970’s America there was the ‘American dream’ the idea of an equal democracy, rights and equal opportunities. This was the era where ladies would dress to impress, glamorous without one thing out of place. However this American woman is the total opposite. The sculpture was made in the late 60’s just when the end of the post-war economic boom, this was the stage at when many Americans were worried that they would end of going back to the times of the Great Depression. Which no American wanted. However luck changed and there was a huge economic growth. This lead to all Americans’ being able to find jobs that were paid well, larger houses, better education. However people didn’t have to cook anymore because they could buy unhealthy ready-made meals. The food- processing industry boomed and pushed over hand-made cooking.

In this certain piece Hanson has tried to put the message across about the negative impacts of over consumption. People have lost their common sense when purchasing goods and are not even aware of buying excessively with things they do not even need. This is because if people can afford it they’ll just buy it for the sake of it. In the end the audience viewing the sculpture feel sorry for the women, who has become a product herself in the process of consumerism.

#Consumerism #DuaneHanson #Hyperrealism