Semester Award Granted

Spring 2025

Submission Date

May 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Eric Landes

Abstract

This exhibition is about the media, the mesmerizing effects of tech-driven advertisements and their impact on consumerism, and global disasters as the consequences of this phenomenon. This is a critique of technology's immense expansion of advertising's reach. With the advent of the Internet, social media, and mobile devices, advertisers reach a global audience instantly. Using algorithms, digital advertising platforms allow precise targeting based on demographics, interests, and online behavior. This means that advertisements can be tailored to specific audiences, increasing the chances of reaching the right consumers with the right message. Michel Foucault, the prominent French philosopher and social theorist, does not explicitly focus on consumerism; his theories on power, surveillance, and discourse can indirectly relate to the dynamics of targeted advertising and consumer behavior. Foucault's concept of "disciplinary power" and his examination of surveillance in modern societies can be connected to how targeted advertising operates.

Visual language is implicated in several ways as it helps with the operation and certain ideologies of consumerism. The visual elements that compose a brand's identity, such as logos and color schemes, play an essential role in brand recognition. This visual identity influences consumer perceptions and choices through consistency, trust and credibility, emotional connection, etc., leading to excessive consumer demands that profoundly impact their identity and environmental degradation. The relentless cycle of mass production and consumption generates enormous waste, ranging from industrial byproducts to everyday consumer disposables. Improper disposal releases hazardous chemicals into the soil and water, contaminating the environment. Landfills overflow with non-biodegradable materials, while excessive packaging and single-use plastics pollute waterways and disrupt ecosystems.

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