Name: Turning powerful stats into art
Uploaded: 2008-06-15T21:00:00Z
Duration: 11 min
Description: Artist Chris Jordan shows us an arresting view of what Western culture looks like. His supersized images picture some almost unimaginable statistics -- like the astonishing number of paper cups we use every single day.

Artist Chris Jordan shows us an arresting view of what Western culture looks like. His supersized images picture some almost unimaginable statistics -- like the astonishing number of paper cups we use every single day.

Turning powerful stats into art

Collective, unconscious behaviors can add up to astonishing consequences when multiplied by millions. One million plastic cups are used on US airline flights every six hours, and more than 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking cigarettes. By turning overwhelming statistics into giant, detailed images, the artist hopes to spark emotion and responsibility that numbers alone cannot inspire. The real challenge, he suggests, is to translate awareness into personal and cultural change.