Introduction
Technological advances of the past centuries have benefited humanity in numerous ways, yet, most significantly, in terms of relieving the workload and facilitating the operations of different professions. As predicted by Marx, the growing productivity of labor would result in the expansion of “disposable time,” which, according to him, constituted the absolute wealth of every nation (Hughes and Southern, 2019).
Nevertheless, even though the forecast of the German philosopher has been proved mostly correct, the question of how people choose to spend their free time remains topical. It can be suggested that the new technologies allowed people to free themselves from toil, but simultaneously, they started to consume more of their valuable time. Social media platforms are one the examples of disruptive technologies which were created to help people make their lives easier but eventually started to harm them. According to research, long periods spent online can lead to a decrease in sleep quality, poor body image, and low self-esteem (Kelly et al., 2018).
French philosopher Baudrillard (1993) believed that virtual technologies removed problems from people’s lives but at the same time made them lose their identity and desire to engage in intellectual work. This essay will discuss how modern digital media artists challenge and promote the idea of Baudrillard and it will examine their projects dedicated to the topics of social inequality and mass consumption.
An Analysis of “Reflect” By Nikkolas Smith
Due to the recent developments in the US and other western nations, more people have become aware of the systemic oppression and racism black people experience in these countries. The death of George Floyd became a turning point for millions of people to start demanding social and racial equality from their governments. This situation motivated and inspired many digital artists to create works that would highlight the issues existing in society and subsequently would help draw the attention of even larger audiences to them. Nikkolas Smith is one of the most popular digital artists today and is not afraid of being vocal about social inequality inherent in the US.
This African American illustrator has a sizeable social media following, including more than two hundred thousand subscribers on Instagram. Additionally, he worked with renowned film industry names such as Pixar, participated in several exhibitions, held workshops, and authored three books. Activism plays a major role in his art, and many of his works underscore problems such as police brutality targeted against minorities as well as promote social causes, for example, the Black Lives Matter movement.
Nikkolas Smith has created many works dedicated to the problem of social inequality, yet the digital painting titled “Reflect” is certainly one of the most popular ones at this moment. The image depicts a black woman who took a stand on one knee in front of a row of police officers. The woman raised her left hand, holding a mirror which is positioned at the head level of the police. From looking at the image, the context of the situation becomes clear. Namely, Smith wanted to demonstrate to his audience a scene from one of the Black Lives Matter protests, which occurred in great numbers in the US in the Summer of 2020.
The image conveys a powerful message by juxtaposing an unarmed and defenseless woman proudly with a line of officers dressed in combat armor whom she opposes. This artwork is summoned to stress the peaceful nature of the protests and to show the inadequate response on the part of the authorities. The mirror raised by the woman is an element that has a special function in the overall composition of the image. It works as a metaphor suggesting police officers reflect on the questions of why they try to stop a peaceful protest and what they protect.
The artwork by Smith is one of the examples of digital art, which directly challenges the notions outlined by Baudrillard. Yet, before establishing how Smith’s work proves the philosophers’ ideas wrong, Baudrillard’s main argument has to be clearly stated. Essentially, the French author writes that technological progress has enabled people to escape all of their problems and stop reflecting on crucial issues such as liberty. Ultimately, this extreme dependence on technology has led people to abandon their unique personalities and become “the same” (Baudrillard, 1993, p. 58).
In other words, individuals no longer play clearly-defined roles in society and refuse to associate themselves with any responsibility, choosing to live a comfortable but meaningless life. Smith’s work cannot be used as evidence in support of Baudrillard’s point of view since it explores and promotes ideas that refute the philosophers’ notions. Whereas Baudrillard describes modern people as passive and over-reliant on technology, Smith shows them as decisive and willing to vocally address inequalities. The American illustrator conveys a message through this digital piece of art which claims that protestors openly speak truth to power.
Moreover, the Black Lives Matter movement stems from the reflection on the topics of liberty, justice, and social equality. Protests are the result of the authorities’ lack of initiative in resolving the systemic inequalities faced by African Americans and attempts of certain individuals to falsely claim that liberty for everyone has been already secured (Sumerau and Grollman, 2018). Smith did not avoid making political art; he intentionally engaged in activism and, as thousands of likes on his post with the “Reflect” image show, he received approval from his audience.
It demonstrates the fact that modern people, despite possessing technology that can help them escape real-life problems, continue to participate in the political process of their country. Such proactive behavior on the part of citizens leads to a demand for art that would amplify their message but in a different form. The major technological element here is social media which serves as a platform where people can exchange their opinions, find relevant information, and coordinate their actions. Smith uses his Instagram account as his gallery where he exhibits his artworks to attract the attention of people to the issues he raises with his images.
The digital artist is successful, and it is visible how his works are positively viewed by his audience. It reflects the widespread support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which has been on the rise for the past several years (Sawyer and Gampa, 2018). Additionally, Smith’s works possess other qualities, such as the ability to evoke feelings of the people who look at them. According to the artist himself, he tries to create art that “puts people in the shoes of someone they may not agree with” (Shemtov, 2021).
The “Reflect” is a perfect example of this idea. Despite the protests’ popularity, there is still a portion of people who do not approve of them. “Reflect” grants these people a chance to project the experience of a woman defending her rights onto themselves and thus gain an understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement’s ideology and motivations. Turning back to Baudrillard’s argument, “Reflect” put on public display on Instagram allows white people who have a privilege in society to envision themselves in position the of subjects of oppression. This outlook challenges Baudrillard’s view since technology here acts as a facilitator for reflection on the topic of social inequality, a deeply philosophical notion.
An Analysis of “Gotta Catch ’Em All” by Steve Cutts
Yet, there are also artists whose works capture the essence of Baudrillard’s argument and convey similar messages by highlighting the vices of modern society. Mass consumption, or, in other words, consumerism, has a significant negative impact on people’s lives and the environment. Technological progress has worsened the situation by generating millions of tons of highly-toxic electronic waste and emitting CO2 in large volumes, ultimately contributing to and accelerating climate change (Lewis, 2017). Yet, the environmental effect of mass consumption driven by technological advances is not the only major factor that needs to be addressed. Additionally, the widespread adoption of cheap communication devices such as mobile phones caused people to develop an addiction to them and their social media news feed.
Steve Cutts, a British digital illustrator, has made it his mission to emphasize the effects of mass consumption coupled with the availability of technologies on humanity in a satirical manner. His artwork “Gotta Catch ’Em All” demonstrates the harsh reality of today’s societies and the extreme desire of their members to escape their problems by immersing themselves in a virtual world. The image depicts several people marching in line and falling off a cliff while focused on playing their favorite mobile game. The particular game in question is Pokemon Go, an app that utilizes a relatively new technology of augmented reality.
There is also one of the main protagonists of the game, Pikachu, who, in the image, invites the people to the abyss. This artwork is extremely metaphorical and conveys a multitude of messages, as well as meanings. Yet, the major problem covered by Cutts here is people’s inability to resist their temptation to consume content and entertainment, which has reached a pinnacle of absurdity in the form of video game addiction.
Moreover, whereas past generations were obsessed with buying kitchen utensils and other tangible products, the cravings of modern people do not exist in the actual reality and are non-physical. Essentially, with this artwork, Cutts illustrates the claims made by Baudrillard by painting the very people described by the philosopher. These individuals are the same since they do not have any qualities which would distinguish them from others.
The line in which they march also symbolizes their lack of perspective and shows that they are narrow-minded and unable to choose their way in life. Instead, they are driven by simple incentives provided to them by the game, which tells these individuals where they should go to score more points. These people’s absence of any conscious direction and the desire to avoid real-life ultimately leads them into the abyss of even stronger gaming addiction. It is possible to assume that here Cutts adds another point to Baudrillard’s argument. Namely, whereas the French philosopher states that technologies allow people to escape their problems, the artist contends that technologies ultimately lead to even worse outcomes for them.
Mass consumption depicted by Cutts is highlighted by the phenomenon of sameness of the individuals who cannot function without technology described by Baudrillard. As noted by Filip (2020, p. 119), mass consumption “is destructive to the free development of individual thoughts.” This means that people who engage in consumerism become ultimately shaped by the products they buy and use. Products intended for mass consumption have the task of becoming the object of desire for consumers to stimulate further sales. Technological progress amplified this process which is perfectly demonstrated by mobile games and the addiction they cause in users.
Studies dedicated to the topic of the effects of mobile gaming on mental health indicate that addiction to this kind of entertainment consistently entails social anxiety, loneliness, and depression (Wang, Sheng, and Wang, 2019). Essentially, Cutts draws the attention of his audience to this problem through his art and invites people to reflect on their relationship with gaming addiction or general over-reliance on their devices. He portrays the consequences a person faces when they become too involved in the consumption of mobile entertainment.
Mass consumption driven by technology rests on the idea that the consumer is constantly provided with new coveted objects which they can attain by paying their money for them. Baudrillard (1996) explained this process by saying that in the modern era, goods are no longer meant to be owned but produced and bought. Yet, this perpetual cycle of consumption does not have any ultimate objective, apart from the necessity to constantly accrue new objects. In the realm of mobile games, users pursue rare objects and earn points that are essentially meaningless but can stimulate players’ desire to achieve new heights.
This removes a person from the actual reality and their environment, relieving the pressure of personal and social surrounding them. As Baudrillard noted, technology does not require a person to employ and develop their intelligence since artificial mechanisms erase the necessity to do so. Yet, an individual who spends a substantial period engaging in the consumption of mobile entertainment further alienates themselves from their real life. As a result, they fall into the abyss of sameness and experience severe consequences.
Conclusion
In concluding, according to Baudrillard, technologies allow people to escape their problems but ultimately negatively impact their personality and intelligence. This notion is often explored in art by contemporary digital artists who both support this claim and provide evidence against it. The image “Reflect” by Nikkolas Smith, an American illustrator, confronts Baudrillard’s notion that technologies discourage intellectual work and encourage following the same thought patterns.
By using social media as his platform, Smith exhibits his work to draw attention to the problems of social inequality and systemic oppression of African Americans in the US. His work allows the audience to see a different perspective and stimulates them to reflect on the topics of liberty and equality. On the other hand, Steve Cutts, a British digital illustrator, in his work “Gotta Catch ’Em All,” conveys a message similar to the one promoted by Baudrillard. Essentially, he contends that the modern mass consumption amplified by technological progress has negatively impacted people and their lives. Addiction to the consumption of virtual entertainment allows people to escape their problems but eventually leads to the erosion of their unique personalities.
Reference List
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Sawyer, J. and Gampa, A. (2018) ‘Implicit and explicit racial attitudes changed during Black Lives Matter’, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(7), pp.1039–1059. Web.
Shemtov, E. (2020) ‘Nikkolas Smith: activism and the images that bind us’. T Art Magazine, 2
Sumerau, J. E. and Grollman, E. A. (2018) ‘Obscuring oppression: racism, cissexism, and the persistence of social inequality’, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 4(3), pp.322–337. Web.
Wang, J. L., Sheng, J. R., and Wang, H. Z. (2019) ‘The association between mobile game addiction and depression, social anxiety, and loneliness’, Frontiers in Public Health, 7, pp.1–6. Web.