Thursday, January 27, at 6:00 pm, come celebrate the opening of the new exhibition "Running the Numbers: Portraits of Mass Consumption" by internationally known photographer Chris Jordan in the Paleontology Hall at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. These intricate photographs look at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: two million plastic bottles (five minutes of bottle use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of American society; in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Light refreshments will be served.
This event will be followed by a panel discussion at 7:00 pm offering a variety of perspectives inspired by Chris Jordan's work, the impact of mass consumption on the environment, and the possibilities of reuse, recycling, and renewal. Jennifer Heath is an independent scholar, curator, award-winning activist and cultural journalist, and former visual art critic for the Rocky Mountain News. Sharon Collinge is a CU Professor of Biology & Environmental Studies who studies human impacts on the environment and the species who inhabit it. Eric Lombardi, Executive Director of EcoCycle, is an internationally recognized re-cycling expert who works at the interface of society, technology and business.
The panel will be moderated by Marda Kirn, Executive Director of EcoArts Connections. The event is sponsored by the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. In collaboration with EcoArts Connections.
"Running the Numbers" will be on display in the BioLounge from January 20-April 30, 2011.