Aynslee Mattson - 2023

Artist's Statement

Among the most impactful things I’ve learned in this class include our units on hyper-consumerism and the system of linear production, as outlined in the Story of Stuff and Story of Solution videos, which greatly impact and inform the decisions that are being made, on both large and small scales, regarding the future of our planet. As such, my final project focuses on the process of extraction, production, consumption, and disposal. This series of collages functions as a way to highlight these particular issues and the larger cultural mindsets—particularly the emphasis on convenience—that have made planned and perceived obsolescence such successful economic and social tools. The effect that consumerism has had on the environment is immense and ongoing, making it something I felt was more than worthy of being highlighted through my own artistic voice.