Ironic+Progress

=**Ironic Progress**= Whitney Martin 3A "Ironic Progress” is a warning about what will happen to humankind if we continue to progress in the field of technology at the expense of nature and the cultural elements of society. Man is so caught up in the race to have the best technology and most advanced society that he begins to push away the more human aspects of life, such as religion, culture, and art. Mankind is so anxious to make life as easy and efficient as possible, but, in the process, begins to lose track of what really makes us human.

In the front of the box, there is a giraffe being hanged by a black ribbon from a steel structure. The giraffe is the natural world, being slowly killed off by humanity. The ribbon is man’s attempt to cover up his mistakes and by making the destruction appear less horrible. However, this attempt is never totally successful; the cold steel of the gallows is clearly visible beneath the black silk.  In the jar are a cross, a tribal bead, and an old-fashioned illustration from // Alice in Wonderland //. These objects represent the cultural part of human society, with the cross representing religion, the bead representing cultural tradition, and the illustration representing the arts. These objects are enclosed in a jar, meaning they are being contained by man’s mind as he focuses on science and machines. The metro ticket sits on top of the jar to illustrate the modern man’s need for efficiency and his inability to recognize that, if our goal is to move as fast and efficiently as possible through our lives, we may miss out on the aspects of life that shape the definition of humanity.

 The compass and “Top Secret, Army Intel” box are held up on wooden pedestals, showing the reverence for technology and force in modern society. Modern society frequently looks to force, rather than peace, to solve problems, which is represented by the military box. The compass illustrates the need for new technology and for data and proof of the things they are a part of, rather than taking anything on faith. The two pedestals are on either side of the cross in the jar, in a mockery of the Crucifixion, showing science’s contempt for religion.

 The drawing compass is towing above the paper rose in the back of the box. One compass point is on either side of the rose, keeping it in place. The rose is made of paper, though it appears real. This parallels the modern human condition. We have already destroyed much of the natural world and, to make up for it, we can recreate it artificially to try to convince ourselves that nothing we are doing is wrong. We have the power to make God-like decisions and tell ourselves that we are doing the right thing by recreating what we destroy in the image of what we perceive it as. This image is not natural and therefore, the artificiality may not always be immediately evident, but can always be found underneath.

 The box as a whole represents the progress of man and the irony that, as we progress further and further, we move further away from what makes us human and connects us to the rest of the natural world, rather than simply being machines. We may try to seem more humane and natural, but the need for technological and scientific progress is still always there beneath the surface of our intentions, cutting us off from what really defines us as human.