ANTAGONY

Acrylic on canvas (two canvases, 24" x 24") Painting size total; 24" high X 48" wide

‘ANTAGONY’ is a painting which illustrates a vision for the future. It’s a painting of antagonism, disaffection and hostility. It illustrates the possible effects of world population, in conjunction with technical evolution. For the future, I can imagine death on an unparalleled scale. The painting does not show death or killing, but I’ve tried to paint harbingers of this possibility. Enslavement is a by-product of the devaluation of life. I paint that into the painting, along with addiction, sickness, symbols of war, insanity and people watching too much TV.

I see a possibility that the world is headed for a “have and have not” hierarchy. The middle class may disappear. This leaves only the ones on top, and at the bottom. At some point, people will either have abundance, or they will be lacking.

In this painting, the men on top merging with the machines, depict how the “haves” enjoy the remaining fruits of the Earth. The ‘haves’ cheat death by utilizing technology. They (the haves) self evolve into a new human form. They reinvent themselves. Pretty much like the predictions of Ray Kurzweil, only not quite as scrupulously.

Privacy will become obsolete. There are eyes everywhere in my painting. These are the remote eyes of the controllers who track all that we do.The great herds of people that will come can be controlled only with constant vigilance. I can conceive that soon, every movement we make will be digitally recorded. This is already happening. Our DNA will be recorded. Anyone can be easily located using GPS. We will have no escape from the government, no privacy as we now take for granted.

The population of Earth will be near a critical mass by the time we reach the so called “Singularity”. At some point in technological evolution, humanity will be able to achieve rapid self evolution. However, I don’t think everyone will be able to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, the grim outcome for the billions of “have-nots” will be out of any control. I see an interesting future on the horizon, (like the old Chinese curse) The one thing that’s most difficult to imagine is how humanity can survive much longer as we are.
~ R.S. Connett, 10/2010



" in this piece, you represent what I believe is happening to mankind. We see a society that compromises with integrity, that shuns its weakest and most vulnerable. The sturdy, but tiny third Reich bug, scurrying amidst the screaming voices, needing, pleading to be heard, wanting JUST ONE MORE CHANCE, alongside the cries for justice, alongside the face of restless and irritable, all crushing us as we walk off the cliff. Built high on the backs of our weakest and most vulnerable..." ~ P. Collins, 7/2010

"As long as survival is in question on an individual level, the luxury of saving our species as a whole is probably impossible." ~ R.S.C. 7/2010