Out of Sight Until it’s Mine is an exploration of consumerism’s effect on the environment and workers around the world. It aims to investigate the journeys taken by various products, from their conception to their disposal.
Artist/Thesis Statement
When considering this project, I wanted to explore problems that often felt simultaneously ignored and insurmountable. I landed on the global economy and the societal encouragement to buy an ever-increasing amount of products. To varying degrees, we are all workers and consumers who live on this planet, so our relationship to consumerism’s toll is always relevant.
Instead of taking a pretentious and removed stance in this work, I wanted to acknowledge that I’m also part of the equation. A lot is illuminated about the darker parts of the global market by just taking a look at my own personal consumption habits. I can take something small, like an outfit I may be wearing on a given day, and see where it fits into a larger, more overwhelming picture. What did my jacket take to make? Who had to make it and how were they treated? How did it get to me? Why did I want it in the first place? Where will it end up when I can no longer use it? I, along with many others, am enticed by the instant gratification of buying cool products that are affordable and sent to your door immediately. We don’t always consider the hidden human and environmental costs.
These issues may seem daunting, but Out of Sight Until it’s Mine aims to provide perspective and awareness to actually acknowledge and face these practices. The first step to incremental change is recognizing and understanding the problem.
