Culture Shock, According to Plato

Hello again! I'm popping in to share another art journal spread completed in my Wake Me When It's Over journal. I am participating in the March Art Journal Journey Challenge with the theme Out and About. And I will also link this up to Paint Party Friday on Friday (Week 4, Year 7).

Forgot this time to take a photo before I began of the background that I'd created a long way back, so long ago that I do not remember what was involved other than what I can see, which are very many layers of collaged scrapbook paper bits and acrylic paint and glaze. It ended up being really bumpy and textural, and frankly a pita to adhere to, but I managed mostly with sookwang tape and xyron for the alpha stickers and word strips. The car was from a magazine cover and was a bit thick, so went on well with gel medium. I painted the roadway and white striping with Posca paint pens.

Now, about the spread itself and what I am conveying here. Those of you familiar with Plato's Republic may remember his description of life in what he called Late-Stage Democracy. People remember it most for the political meanings, but that is not what I'm addressing at all on this spread. I'm only documenting 2 of the cultural behaviors in that time, with trending examples from today.

I will also explain that ever since I read Plato in college (last century), I have called Late-Stage Democracy Plato's L.S.D. Trip. Yup, the acronym was just too tempting for me to ignore, lol. The yellow handwriting is in my own words how Plato sees culture in any phase.

The two examples from today are behaviors that I think are over the top, particularly the one about parents and children. I see far too little respect given elders. Everyone who is lucky enough will become an elder and so will it be for the young who do not seem to realize that by phasing out elder respect, they will not get it either, but by then it will be late. Some say the current elders killed it during the 60's and that argument has some merit, but I personally never approved of that and taught my child to honor the traditional. Alas, when a culture appropriates the teaching, this is what happens.

As for the animals, while I do not currently have a pet, I've had several and loved them dearly. But because I have allergies to their dander, they were always outdoor pets. What I find a problem is that places like hotels are always up in arms about cigarette smoke, but hey, pet animal dander and fluids, no problem! To someone allergic, it's equally offensive, and sometimes medically more dangerous to stay in a pet-friendly hotel room. From my perspective, it's now pets are the rule, no pets the exception in culture...and I see a parallel to back 40-50 years ago when people could and did feel free to light up anywhere and everywhere and objecting was the exception.

So, I decided to document these and then see how they evolve over time. This is why I left the bottom open space on the right hand side, because I will probably have something to observe at a later date.

This represents me (as do all my pages in this journal) because it's an example of what I read and think about. Plus, I cannot lie, I had that cool winged car image, lol. Mashup! ;-)

Thanks for visiting and see ya again soon!