The American Dream, “You Have To Be Asleep To Believe It”

The American Dream, “You Have To Be Asleep To Believe It”

"The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.”                                                                                                  

This dream is still obtainable but by a mere fraction of what the options used to be. Hard work does pay off, however, money, social and societal connections seem to have a stronger hold on these outcomes. We have all seen how mediocrity, money, and ostentatious notoriety can lead those to the top of the food chain in The USA. I confront the hypocritical way that social control is disguised as morality through form and technique. The piece itself is composed of a large prescription bottle with Ambien, the now highly regulated sleeping pills, scattered about. The still life is a reference to drug abuse, particularly in America. If it is prescribed by a doctor then it’s ok. Capitalism is the objective, the people will not to be healed, they are the consumers. This is in reference to the late and great comedian George Carlin.

2016
Blown glass, mirror, silver, and vinyl
36” x 36” x 15”
Photo by Russell Johnson