dmitrynikonov

The Sin of Consumerism

One of my more complex photographs.
The message is that our society may be placing too much emphasis on consumption. It can be argued that obsessing about...
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One of my more complex photographs.
The message is that our society may be placing too much emphasis on consumption. It can be argued that obsessing about consumption is a sin.
The main symbols in the image that convey the message are:
- the woman biting an apple (a well-established symbol of sin in Western culture);
- the words NO-NO-NO-YES in the foreground, symbolizing how a person initially resists but eventually surrenders to the urge to consume implanted into their mind by marketers;
- the cropping of the woman's face that focuses attention on her mouth and teeth biting into the apple, giving it an aggressve, almost predatory expression; and
- the converging lines of the shopping cart handles that symbolize the 'sales funnel' (an actual marketing term, not a metaphor!) - a carefully constructed set of stimuli and business processes designed to convert us all into buyers.
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