OBSERVATIONS and QUESTIONS
CHALLENGING MYSELF: What compelled me to collect 30 boxes of visual media the past 13 years and make 14 collages that represent current American History. Why did I spend 1,000’s of hours putting together a 300 sq’ visual reality. I know I told myself if I put these images and words in a box than maybe I wouldn’t feel my reaction to what I was seeing. It didn’t feel good. Too much information was coming at us fast.
In October 2011 a door opened and I went into a time warp digesting, scanning and building collages chronologically that represented Commercials, Advertisements and “Late Breaking Events”. Events “We The People” witnessed. The process made me question who are WE, and what is American Democracy?
OBSERVATIONS: I was noticing in 2007 and 2008 that people were forgetting what happened in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. They remembered 9/11 and going to war in Iraq. (?)
Personal OBSERVATIONS: American Democracy is Global. It’s been a slogan used to justify war and conflict. There are so many interwoven Multi National trails of connectivity under the name of American Democracy that it challenges the concept of the American Constitution that represents “We The People of the United States of America”.
What Happened? It feels like we’ve been victims of psychological warfare. Intentionally numbed down and sidetracked, to NOT pay attention to decisions being made that have consequential effects.
I don’t feel good about the methods being used. We are continually being fed conflict along with BRANDED images of what we need and who we are. There is a pattern, ”OLD School”, “Conquer and Divide”. These images and words are told to US under the banner of “American Democracy”.
What Happened to “We The People”? Citizen voices in opposition have been ignored as laws were passed that represent corporate interest over “We The People”. Our civil liberties are being challenged as our social services are decreasing.
What’s the Agenda? Are we being globally united to become a reactionary controlled society?
Why Is Our Debt Increasing? Our government is in trouble. How can we keep spending so much money when we don’t receive enough income to sustain our expenses?
What is our government’s priority? Is it Global American Multi-National Corporate Democracy?
What happened to “We The People”? What is the “American Dream”?
If you want to know the answers “Follow The Money”.
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Observations
I am an artist. I translate what I see and how I feel. I’ve been collecting Visual Media Images for 13 years. I’ve received these images from television, newspapers, magazines, tabloids, billboards and the internet. These images reflect the media we saw that I had a reaction to. I’ve turned these images into 14 collages representing current American History. They tell a story! A lot happened the past 13 years.
This series of collages have been called political. I disagree. They are cultural and social. They are like watching Reality TV. They remind us that we eye witnessed 9/11, went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, learned about the Middle East and learned new words like al-Qaeda, Taliban, Weapons of Mass Destruction and War on Terror.
We got easy credit. Consumerism skyrocketed and than the credit ran out. We lost our jobs, our new or refinanced homes, our pensions and dreams for the future.
Unemployment skyrocketed; budget cuts hit all sectors of our lives. We realized that the stores we shop in are filled with imported items and question what happened to American factories. We hear that Global Warming is Real, our food is being genetically altered and our health is challenged.
We found out that there were NO Weapons of Mass Destruction; “No Draft” means were going to Outsource; and the population is not 100% convinced that there was a plane that actually hit the Pentagon.
At a time when we are involved in two credit card wars our nations financial structure is collapsing as military spending increases.
Who benefited; The Weapons Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, Oil Industry, Banking Industry, Shipping Industry and Overseas Manufacturing. I don’t feel our government benefited except for a few individuals who I call War Profiteers.
The Media Industry sold us the idea that what was happening was OK! Or encouraged us to look the other way because it felt better. It was an emotional pull of strings that has had serious consequences.
I look at pictures of the conflicts overseas and can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys. Who’s the insurgent? Who’s the rebel? Are they for their government or against them? If we join them whom are we fighting for and why?
How did this happen?
I feel the ones who control what is really going on choreographed a 21st century Shakespearean play. I don’t feel that these pieces are political. I feel they are visual images presented to destabilize and control our emotional behavior and patterns. If we weren’t afraid they reminded us to be. If we felt sad they reminded us to shop or take drugs. They made us feel insecure as to who we are as individual people, as a nation and question our elected leaders choices. Who were our leaders listening too? The corporations and industry that benefited or the people that they are supposed to be representing?
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2012
2012 The Final Collage in this collection is finished.
The Series is currently on display at Sonoma State University.
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Lecture: Sonoma State University
American History 2000 to 2012
A Visual; Time Line of Our 21st Century
Lecture and Visual Display by Artist Gaye Lub
7:00 PM April 3
Darwin 102—Sonoma State University
Free and Open to the Campus Community and Public
American History Collage Panels on Display April 2-5 in SSU Hub—Student Union Building 9:00 AM tp 5:00 PM
Statement by Gaye Lub
Before Y2K (2000) I started collecting significant images that represent key events and emotional reactions in the American Media. These images and words were presented by the Media and PR firms to the American people. We saw them on TV, billboards and the internet, in newspapers, magazines, and tabloids. We saw them whether we wanted to or not. These images have turned into 12 collages representing “American History 2000 – 2012
Sponsored by SSU Sociology Club, Media Freedom Foundation, Project Censored, Political Sociology Class Spring 2012, and Peter Phillips
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“American History 2000 – 2012” – POLITICAL?
It’s interesting to hear how people describe what they see.
The first time I heard that “American History 2000 – 2012” was a political piece I was shocked.
What I see is a series of collages of visual images and events that WE witnessed. The images I collected for 12 years represent key events and emotional reactions. These images and words were presented by the MEDIA and PR firms to the American people. We saw them on TV, billboards and the internet, in newspapers, magazines, and tabloids. We saw them whether we wanted to or not.
“American History 2000 – 2012” is about News and Advertising. It’s about the stories we were told.
The fact that “American History 2000 – 2012” has been tagged political makes me realize that POLITICAL is the first layer, people visually respond to. Each panel from 2000 – 2011 has multiple layers of images that represent a spectrum of events, issues, advertising and reactions.
Why when people look at “American History 2000 – 2012” do they associate POLITICAL as the key word? This project is a mirror. It’s not meant to influence our political stance.
I feel when people put a political label on something it’s meant to pick a side. In our culture that is separated by two primary political parties, Democrats and Republicans we assume we have to choose one side or another. What this work does is shine light to what American Society has been exposed to. It does not sway towards one side verses the other. It’s objective and it tells stories about what we were told, what we did and how we reacted.
Sincerely, Gaye
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