National(ist) Uniform(ity)
Erik Jon Olson (Plymouth, MN)
Quilted Plastic Waste, 34” H x 62” W x 3
Artwork:
The three straight jackets of National(ist) Uniform(ity) layer two concepts, one environmental and one social. The environmental is that our ubiquitous use of plastic now has a strangle hold on the way we live. The social is that white Christian nationalism has a strangle hold on the lives and minds of MAGA believers. The main strap being red signifies the neck tie of the current resident of the White House and the grip he has on our country.
Artist Statement:
Using quilted plastic waste as my medium, I create works that deal with the effects of consumerism, mass consumption and unfettered capitalism. By layering environmental issues with social justice messaging, my art emphasizes our alienation from the environment and each other, our willingness to waste, and our subsequent need for healing.
By minimizing my carbon footprint in the creation of pieces and transcending the medium without denying what it is, I create art that embodies Marshall McLuhan’s concept that “the medium is the message.”