I’ve been hearing this phrase more and more lately, and it’s really been getting on my nerves. It is what it is is the most meaningless 5 word sentence I can imagine.
Perhaps I’m a little behind on this issue. According to Urban Dictionary, this phrase was voted the #1 cliché of 2004. Apparently, it’s supposed to mean something to the effect of “The situation is not good, but we’ll just accept it and move on.” It’s really an expression of regret thinly veiled as acceptance. People say something is what it is when they want to avoid saying anything at all.
I suppose the phrase is what it is though, so maybe I should quit complaining.
These photo collages by Chris Jordan are amazing. It is some of the most powerful art I have ever seen.
Here’s an excerpt from one his Artist’s Statements:
The pervasiveness of our consumerism holds a seductive kind of mob mentality. Collectively we are committing a vast and unsustainable act of taking, but we each are anonymous and no one is in charge or accountable for the consequences. I fear that in this process we are doing irreparable harm to our planet and to our individual spirits.
As an American consumer myself, I am in no position to finger wag; but I do know that when we reflect on a difficult question in the absence of an answer, our attention can turn inward, and in that space may exist the possibility of some evolution of thought or action. So my hope is that these photographs can serve as portals to a kind of cultural self-inquiry. It may not be the most comfortable terrain, but I have heard it said that in risking self-awareness, at least we know that we are awake…
Lots more at http://www.chrisjordan.com/
These are pieces that I would love to see in person. I would like to know more about his techniques as well; this process must be incredibly painstaking.
Laura and went to IKEA on Sunday to buy some new dressers and other home furnishings. Interior design is all about details. What’s the old saying about the devil and the details?
