TED Speaker: Chris Jordan
November 14, 2008
Using human behavioral data, Chris Jordan creates images that evoke feelings and reflection on our culture of excess.
Many of his images require a closer look. First you may see a pattern or an image. But up close, 1million plastic cups make up a stylized image of a factory spewing out pollution. Coincidentally, the same amount of plastic cups is used on American airline flights every 6 hours. Even more staggering in numbers is 40 million paper cups are used every day for hot beverages, which a couple days worth can pile up to stand 40 stories high. No doubt it’s a lot of waste.
Numbers in the hundred-thousands, millions and trillions – they’re such enormous statistics that for individuals, they are hard to make meaning out them. Chris Jordan’s work attempts to takes those numbers and translate them into a visual language that can be more easily interpreted to mean something to viewers, thus bridging statistics and art. It is a call for change to each individual that observes his work.
It’s a daunting challenge to take on, but if simple, unconscious behaviors can create staggering statistics, then simple, conscious ones can also make great changes.
