Sometimes you just want to shed the layers of yourself that have been hiding who you really are. Choo-San has displayed a work of art (shown below) that expresses the essence of the human condition. The inner self is always protected by the many layers of the of psyche that encapsulate the soul.
When you look at a painting, image, or design do you think of complex issues that could be discussed in length? These examples of thought-provoking images playfully tackle difficult themes through striking visual design.
An artist wants you to think when you look at their work, and some are better than others. You can look at a painting of a tree and think of a tree you saw, but an illustration of a tree that is surreal demonstrates an idea or makes a statement about society which can make you think a great deal more. These images make you think about more than just what you see. You think about what it means and how that can relate to you or other people.
People want to understand how the world works; however, these images only bring up more questions about who we are. Below, Henry Fuseli depicts a demented person with a demon on their chest. He’s no doubt making a statement about society as it was then.
Artist Pawel Kuczynski’s work represents the reflection of society that can be witnessed in others. In his art below, the two contrasting children could represent the division of society often seen in Pawel’s work. The denigration and discrimination of one part of society by another can separate or unite these contrasting views. When Facebook controls every one of our waking moments is there anything that can’t escape their gaze? These modern issues are discussed through a visual dialogue.
The imaginary borders and invisible infrastructure of today’s society make people begin to wonder if they are really there, and ask if they can touch it and feel its presence? Sometimes people begin to rely on things like cell phones and wi-fi. What will our birds perch upon in the future? The idea that one day birds will need a cell phone signal to hold them up is absurd, but what if we didn’t need all those telephone poles?
Life now relies on electricity to survive. If we took out our own batteries how could we function? Choo-San elucidates the underlying addictions of society in the image below. The reliance is so deep you may as well say that it flows through your veins. If any of us can go weeks or more without phones or television or electricity of any kind it would be astounding. Do you really notice that all the things that you rely on use the free and unified flow of electrons?
Has society become more health conscious or are our expectations of each other becoming too strict? Does one size actually fit all? What is wrong for us, may be comfortable for others. Thin or fat, people are generally the same. This person here looks similar to the next over there. It is hard to distinguish one image from the other if you don’t see the weight gain as permanent or disfiguring.
Addiction is a topic that has long been debated and recognized, and alcoholism has been prevalent in that debate. Here, a bottle of beer contains a hook attached to the bottom. The factors of addiction are something well-known to us, but many still enjoy beer. Commercialism says we should buy the products on television, but at what cost are we consuming these products? We rarely stop and think of the harm we are doing to our bodies with the food and drinks we consume every day.
