Chris Jordan Runs the Numbers

Photographer Chris Jordan’s project, “Running the Numbers, An American Self-Portrait” creates a way for us to wrap our minds around the colossal scale of contemporary American consumption. Jordan’s work raises profound questions regarding our current use of resources, the way we shop, the expense of war, the state of our prison system, and the condition of our environment, to name a few.

Jordan’s work presents us with a vast, clear mirror and asks us to stop and look at our lives, at the collective consequences of our decisions, in radically expanded context. I consider this to be one of the most important art projects of our time, and if you haven’t heard of him yet, then I am honored to introduce you to his work.

Here are two of his pieces, each shown at three different zoom levels. The first photo in the series reveals the full image, the second, a detail, and the third shows a section of the image at 100% magnification.

This image depicts one million plastic cups, the number used on airline flights in the US every six hours.

This image depicts 28,000 42-gallon barrels, the amount of of oil consumed in the United States every two minutes (equal to the flow of a medium-sized river).

If we look closely enough, I believe that we can all see ourselves in this “American Self-Portrait.”

How we respond is up to each of us. We now have the opportunity to act with expanded awareness, thanks to Jordan’s profound artwork.

Visit Chris Jordan’s website for many more examples of his awe-inspiring work.