What’s behind pop culture?
Or a better question might be: “Why are we so obsessed with it?”
Why are we so enamored by people completely disconnected from our own lives? Why do we engage in national news rather than the local issues happening all around us? Why are we more ready to answer a text than engage with the person across the table?
To live vicariously is to endure a sad imitation of life. To listen to gossip through the vents is a terrible way to spend your days. Get out of your basement (physical or mental) and DO something for yourself.
My painting, Pop Culture, is a visual representation of this "vicarious living" through media. You have a dark and dank room...a bathroom or basement maybe. At the top you find a yellow glow surrounding the ducts and vents through which a word bubble emerges. A ladder leads up as if offering the option of joining the "light" yourself but, as the viewer (of the painting and media), you remain the subject on the patterned tile floor.
Two bright symbols hang near the center of the piece representing the small joy or fleeting happiness that stems from your internet observations, somewhat distracting you from the dark surroundings. The light continues to draw you upward, but the vents continue producing conversation to overhear, dissect and react to.
The piece represents the cycle of living with your eye on the media. It's about constantly "liking" what others have rather than putting the work into your own life. It's about pushing through the ease of being entertained and beginning the hard work of becoming successful yourself.
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Pop Culture (the painting) is a reminder to take a step back from the internet age and instead of trolling a comment thread, counting your daily “likes,” or “supporting” the next cause with nothing more than a click of the mouse, get out and experience real life!
That doesn’t mean you need to go climb a mountain or build a ground-breaking car out of recycled kitchen appliances…it just means you should be exploring your own life rather than simply reading about others'.
See Pop Culture in-person by scheduling a studio visit with Daniel Fleming or check out all of his work at the link below.
