A worthy project

[alfredo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5MEC5MPjvg


http://www.tedprize.org/congratulations-to-the-2011-ted-prize-winner-jr/

Congratulations to the 2011 TED Prize Winner: JR

JR exhibits his photographs in the biggest art gallery on the planet. His work is presented freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not museum visitors. His work mixes Art and Action; it talks about commitment, freedom, identity and limit.

[tabatha]

1. I wonder how many trees were used for this.

I agonize over wasting 8.5 x 11 paper.

[alfredo]

2. Not sure, he might have used recycled paper to some extent.

[postatomic]

3. Less than the confetti they dump on a bunch of drunken slobs

in Times Square on New Years Eve.

The stupid wall we built to keep out the "nasty mexicans" from crossing the border and mowing our yards is keeping animals from their normal hunting grounds. A large wind farm in Texas (a good thing) has literally changed the atmospheric pressure and is killing thousands of bats. Every action creates another action.

What this photographer has done is nothing less than wonderful. He has brought a unique art form to places where people live in conditions that none of us could come close to understanding.

Please don't think I'm picking on you. I'm not. I understood your reaction. It's just that sometimes we need to think things through a bit. Put things in their proper perspective.

Peace
:hi:

[tabatha]

4. One bad thing does not excuse another.

Healing the planet will only take place if one violation is removed one at a time; not added one at a time.

[postatomic]

5. Whoa! That wasn't the response I was expecting

You did catch the little thing I mentioned about the Texas Wind Farm? Good thing creates bad thing?

This is a cyber photography town so I'll try to keep my response limited to photography even though you did not.

Did you watch the video? Have you researched his work?

Healing the planet will only come about when we heal the human race. Immediately seeing the size of the prints he was pasting up caused you to react in a way that reflects the illness that the human race has. We are biased, reactionary, violent, and totally lacking compassion. To me, Art is far more valuable in healing this planet than saving a couple of trees.

Did you catch the part where he took portraits of Israelis and Palestinians and pasted them in both areas? Did you catch the part where he went to countries where men controlled society and he pasted images of women, to show their importance? Did you see where he used Acrylic Prints as roofs on grass huts?

Until we humans truly develop a compassionate soul there will never be an effort to repair the environmental and ecological damage we have done.

If he needed the pulp from 100 trees (oh, and the materials used don't consist of 100% pulp) to continue his work I would personally buy a chain saw and go out and cut down 100 trees.

Try to open your mind and see the whole world. That includes the people who live on this planet. Without a soul we are just animals devouring everything we desire. Without a soul we kill, we rape, and we start bloody wars that serve no other purpose than to destroy and kill.

[tabatha]

6. I would far rather

the energy (and money and resources) be spent on finding a child a home, feeding a hungry child, and getting real, live people together.

Putting pictures up does not do any of those.

[alfredo]

7. How do we know he hasn't? Everybody has a role they play.

If he is the one holding the lamp so others can see, that's good enough for me.

[tabatha]

8. I don't know that.

And I don't want to make a big deal about this either - or make waves.

But wasted resources affect everyone.

Immediately - we need to help those who need help - we need to help the environment - otherwise as a species, we are doomed.

But maybe because I have a visceral reaction to waste, pollution, excess, etc, I should not comment on stuff that makes that reaction happen.

Sorry.

[alfredo]

9. No biggie, my buttons gets pushed sometimes. It is a

design fault in us humans.

[postatomic]

10. We're drifting off course. I'm okay with that

I'm getting old and coming to a crossroads in my life. I don't have the energy or desire to have a discussion of this nature with someone who shares my own beliefs.

That said; Photography over the last 100 plus years has had a profound impact on history and society. It would be a great topic for a later date. I'd love to share some of the history with you.

You can have the last word, or not. I just want to leave you with a question or two.

How is it that you know that there are hungry homeless children in this world? How is it that you know the horrors of war? How is it that you know the horrible devastation caused by Katrina in the New Orleans area? How is it.... (are you following my point here?)

I can tell you are a good caring person and I apologize if I have offended you in anyway. Let's slap up some pictures!!!!!

:hi:

[postatomic]

11. Can I ask you to check out this site?

http://www.collectivelens.com/

I am a contributing member. Even if you don't join I encourage you to look around the site and see what they do.

[alfredo]

12. Thank you. I can spend much of my day on that site.

The Outlaws of Detroit brings back memories. I lived in a collective with the president of the local chapter. For breakfast he'd have a cup of black coffee, a cigarette and a joint. He was head switchman for Grand Trunk in in Detroit. He got killed in an accident on the road that went past the Velodrome. He lost control on a curve, went airborne, head hit a utility pole. The blow decapitated him.

[postatomic]

13. Sounds like quite the breakfast

I'm glad you're finding the site interesting. I had a good friend die in a like manner several years ago. Early morning - truck pulled out in front of him - posts on truck went through window and removed his head. I just remember reading a photo article on Detroit. I need to find it for you. I also have some other sites I think you would equally enjoy. Will dig them out for you.

[alfredo]

14. One of my favorites is The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit.

His breakfast was a variation on the Breakfast of Champions: a beer and a joint/cigarette.