I recently shared these images with a caption across several Facebook groups, and the comment section got so wild that I had to capture it with some commentary đ
Here comes the comment section...
* Insert GIF of a crazy person with a tinfoil hat that I tried to screenshot but couldn't đđđđ
Here's where it starts getting interesting...
Aha! Someone brings up Social Dilemma. Nice.
Finally, a believer đ
The conversation got so heated that the admin turned off the comments! Now that is what I call a successful piece of art!
Now, to address the comments. There was a lot.
This is what I have to say:
IRONY: Yes. everything about this screams irony. Operating in this system is full of hypocrisy and contradiction. But I have to earn a living like everyone, and I am an artist with a message, and people are on the internet. So here I am đ I work in a community in my real life and spend most of my time off the internet.
T-SHIRT PRICES: Yes. My prices are expensive, for a reason. I am a fashion designer by trade, but I usually make everything by hand with sustainable materials. These products are printed on manufactured T-shirts, which are high quality but cost the earth thousands of gallons of water. The largest waste crisis on earth is from unwanted clothing. So if you don't want to pay $25 for my T-shirt, I am happy. Please, don't buy it. I only want you to buy my art if you will treasure it for a long time and take care of it.
IPAD CASE PRICES: If you can afford an IPad, you can afford an expensive case. Once again, there is a WASTE CRISIS happening with plastic. If you don't see yourself using my case for at least TEN YEARS, then I don't want you to buy it, period. That's why the prices are so high. I wouldn't buy a case like that unless I was sure it would be my case for a long time. And- I am an advocate for holding onto your electronics rather than throwing them away every year.
BAD DESIGN: Genuinely, I want to thank everyone that pointed out that the design was difficult to read, and too simple to be charging that much money. It was the feedback I needed. Truthfully, I designed this logo several years ago when I was just learning graphic art, but I grew attached to it and never changed it. This comment section tore me apart, so now I am motivated to make a better, more visually eye-catching design that won't be something "a kinder-gardener would throw away" đ
MY BACKGROUND: I live and work in LA as a fashion designer, artist, and community organizer. I'm originally from Detroit where I taught in an art classroom for low income schools for 7 years. Before that I was substitute teaching across Michigan and witnessed education in over 30 schools-
and YES, reading is no longer encouraged, in the sense that true COMPREHENSION is not important for success in school. Kids are taught to memorize facts and then regurgitate for marks on a state exam.
Children don't read as much as they used to, period. If there's a more qualified person to debate the state of the education system in this country on this page, please message me. I want to hear your opinion- let's be friends.
When I'm not teaching or making art, I train in capoeira (Brazilian martial arts) and record music with my friends. I have a strong sense of community outside of the internet.
Truthfully, I would rather not use the internet, but I choose to because I believe this message is important for everyone to hear. I care for humanity and have hope that with awareness, we can become better.
I'm not the only one who has been blowing the whistle, obviously, people have been warning of gov't surveillance for years.
As an artist, I choose to express my values through my medium. In a sense, my art already succeeded. None of you had to buy a single T-shirt for the logo to be impactful, because the post had 99 comments of people telling me I was a hypocrite, money hungry, undercover spy. Mission Accomplished! đ