The barbarian, when confronted by what he does not understand, asks the barbarian’s question – “What Use is It?”
Art strives to answer such questions – in the case of the barbarian, his question is addressed by engineering. As an engineer I try to deliver a satisfying artistic experience to my barbarian clients (and others who are familiar with the technology). I want them to come away smiling inwardly about some aspect that people imbued with “high culture” would totally miss.
The artwork is a drawing in the style of industrial advertising of the 1890s – steel engravings of massive castings with stalwart factory workers posing with them for scale, expressing a pride of accomplishment in realizing advancements in human progress through skill, daring and brawn.
Nowadays other questions arise when engineering accomplishments are displayed – questions of sustainability, environmental impact, effects on society and aesthetics. Such questions all have validity, but at the base, the most significant question is still the barbarian’s question: “What use is it? How much money will it bring in?”
(Artist: Carrie Zeidman)
