SO YOU THOUGHT THERE WASN'T GOING TO BE ANYMORE TEXT? WELL THAT SUCKS. HA HA HA HA HA.

THE WORK ON THE LEFT IS PART OF A COLLECTION OF 10 WORKS IN TOTAL. THEY WERE MADE DURING THE COURSE OF 2 WEEKS CALLED 'BEYOND DADA'. DADA IS REFFERING TO THE CULTURAL MOVEMENT OF DADAMISM WHICH ROSE DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR. ARTISTS WHO WORKED INSIDE THIS MOVEMENT WERE CALLED DADAÏSTS. THEY CREATED WORK THAT CONSISTED OF MANY DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES. SUCH AS THEATHER, POETRY, MUSIC AND GRAPHIC DESIGN.

I LIKED TO FOCUS ON SLIGHTLY SHOCKING MY VIEWERS WITH SOME UNCENSORED IMAGERY. BY ADDING VERY USELESS TEXT, PEOPLE WHO LOOKED AT MY WORK WERE CONFLICTED ON WETHER THEY WANTED TO LOOK OR NOT. AS A DESIGNER, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH MY WORK.

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Darkness.

The New Dark Age describes where the ‘darkness’ comes from and is referring to. The Dark Age and darkness tend to refer to literal darkness, turning of lights, closing your eyes, etc. But also as a shadow, it could be something i’m missing, a privation. The text describes how this darkness is not an expression. So it’s not about this shadow or privation, It’s about the bigger picture. Darkness in society, and how it plays out.

28. The reigning economic system is founded on isolation; at the same time it is a circular process designed to produce isolation. Isolation underpins technology, and technology isolates in its turn; all goods proposed by the spectacular system as it strives to reinforce the isolation of “the lonely crowd”.

The spectacle is continually rediscovering its own basic assumptions – and each time in a more concrete manner.

Within the Society of the Spectacle we drive and live on technology and production, but with technology also comes isolation. We have all sorts of technologies, with one of the most popular examples, Social Media. Although we are so easily connected to a lot of people via Social Media, we still consider ourselves a ‘lonely crowd’. Why? Technology and isolation are connected in a vicious circle. Where there is technology, there is isolation and vice versa. We can’t run from this. There is no escape.

Returning to the New Dark Age, and how darkness and isolation relate to each other. Living in the Society of the Spectacle and a consumer society means we are constant consumers of what is being produced.

With a continuous stream of new technology, we will keep this continuous feeling of isolation and darkness. We are unable to understand spaces around us and our own position in relation toward technologies and mechanisms. We keep wanting more and more, because as consumers we are tempted to buy everything that is in trend, and too expensive.

We have a blindfold covering our eyes making it unable to see what possibilities, further future and new perspectives. It’s like walking in a tunnel surrounded by the so-called darkness, trying to get closer to the light. In this society were Social Media is so important to us we lose sight of perspective. Showing off what we have, how happy we are and what other people wish to have. We trick ourselves and disconnect reality. We act differently on Social Media, and hereby we drag ourselves into the darkness. We keep participating in ‘the lonely crowd'.

Hotline Bling is a song by the hip hop/R&B singer Drake. Throughout the whole video clip he is seen dancing in actual art pieces by James Turrell. The works of Turrell are all based on light. With light, also comes shadow.

This is a direct reference to the darkness that is described in The New Dark Age. When you look at Turrell’s work you get surrounded by light. You get involved in the art piece, but we also look at where the shadow hits. Everything that gives us joy in live, comes with a price. Whether this is an actual price tag of a symbolic price. Light and shadow also represent the future and present day. In the Society of the Spectacle we have an inability to see space around us and to shed new light on today’s perspective. We just focus on what’s in the future, not noticing the shadows creeping upon us.

As a consumer we are always connected and online, as said in New Dark Age: “We cannot unthink the network; we can only think through and within it.” And “Nothing here is an argument against technology: to do so would be to argue against ourselves.”. This music video was a 2016 number one hit, and went completely viral. This connects Turrell’s work to the 21st century network and the society of the spectacle. Drake is by himself already a spectacle, because of his huge fanbase and his provocative actions. But also opens a door via social media, to enter the online part of the spectacle. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and other social media platforms are all steaming this music video.

Why do I think this is relevant to the 21st century? We live in a society where mental illness, loneliness and anxiety play a big role in our every day life. We could call this a shadow, a darkness.

We are a lonely crowd. I explained earlier that we are so lonely, because of our constant connection to social media and digital devices. From smartphones to e-readers and digital waste bin’s, all devices that keep us from entering reality. We don’t talk to friends in the streets, because we can send them a message. We don’t go to a library or bookstore, because we can read them on our e-readers. These are just simple examples on the effects of technology. What Hotline Bling does is create an online perspective on this subject. We, the lonely crowd, is now represented on social media, because of this video. How happy do we actually get from a like on a recently uploaded picture? Don’t we rather get a hug? Or a card? Something physical? On the contrary, we now have a public and viral video, mostly watched by teenagers, that it is okay to be different or feel lonely.

Drake creates a safe space for listeners to be part of the lonely crowd and feel welcomed. He sheds light onto a lot of different perspectives, exactly how Turrell wants his work to be viewed.

John Berger also discusses this subject in his book Ways of seeing in which he explains the constant urge for more.:“We are accused of being obsessed by property”
( p.109) “The publicity image belongs to the moment.” (p.129) “Publicity images also belong to the sense that they must be continually renewed and made up-to-date. Yet we never speak of the present.” (p.130).

We seem to have set our eyes on the future. What John Berger explains implies that we never feel like we have enough, or that what we have is enough.

There will always be something newer, something nicer and something we are actually unable to have at that point. We crave what we can’t have. And if I link this to my earlier paragraphs about darkness and loneliness, it makes sense. We don’t fill the emptiness, we don’t get what we are now missing, because there will always be something greater. Therefore everything we now own will never be enough. And this conclusion makes me rather sad. We are so focused on owning the newest and most up-to-date technology that we drift away from what matters more like real social interaction, physical contact and the feeling of being enough. No one is happy feeling like a ‘lonely crowd’ or feel like you have a shadow covering you.

Because I’m a volunteer for different children in need and refugee groups, I, almost every day see kids and adults who are in desperate need of a simple conversation or a comforting hug.

They don’t look so far in the future, because most of them are already happy by being safe and sound in a good environment together with their loved-ones.

What James Turrell did with his work in Hotline Bling is in my opinion needed to literally see the light in the room, but also accept that there will be a shadow. Also authors like DeBord, Bridle and Berger imply on the dark side of technology and where we, as a ‘lonely crowd’, miss out on what is more important. Love and family are where it all begins. Turn off your phone, forget the lonely crowd and join your loved-ones. Because tomorrow will be a day stuck in the darkness.