"One Nation under god : Operation Whitewash"

Hallie Jones and Aron COnaway Live Series Performance, The Watertower

One Nation Under God: Operation White Wash

Artists: Aron Conaway & Hallie Jones
Audio: Thalon Hubbel

Over the past 50 years, the United States has enjoyed being a world superpower, both economically and militarily.  American foreign policy has evolved into a shockingly malevolent and brutal force.  The U.S. successively overpowers poor, weak, and politically strategic countries around the world to maintain its dominant position. Using military might, the United States installs puppet governments that politically and economically serve American special interests, and open markets to private investment. Oppositional governments acting independently are commonly punished through economic sanctions or combative force.  The U.S. engages in direct confrontation or sponsors domestic paramilitaries to overthrow their governments by supplying them with arms under the guise of “humanitarian aid”.

 Protecting the world from terrorists and evil, it is commonplace for America to forcefully replace democratically elected leaders with corrupt dictators who are willing to cooperate in the in exchange for their own self-interests. Domestication and colonization provide American corporations with a submissive environment to dominate as it reaps the benefits of cheap labor and low environmental law and human rights standards. With this edge on the market companies are able to provide merchandise for the world at low costs, spreading rampant consumerism across the globe.  

            Although this seems great for the American, the world has suffered greatly from America’s rapid expansionism and religiously contagious consumerism. Evolution today is a homogenizing plague. As the world becomes more and more saturated by McDonalds Restaurants, Disney, Coca-Cola, and Wal-Mart pushing into new markets, a white washing of the Earth’s diverse cultures has transpired. After a strict regimen of intolerant American military control and a healthy dose of mass media and commercialism, populations are allowed to consider themselves “liberated” and “free”.

            In this installation, nothing stands out. There is no gray area. There is only black and white… no color. Diversity is gone. The countries chosen represent nations that have been targeted by the US military. They are examples of countries that have a history of being infiltrated, which paved a clear road for corporate America to roll on in. White piles of rocks stand as fortresses marking a territory. The flag is one of homogeny. Their one single star represents the sameness of everywhere and everything. These countries are baron wastelands with the sole purpose of making stuff and buying stuff. We have created a dystopia for the future. We believe that without the fall of the corporation and its insatiable appetite for power and control, this installation will be an all too real glimpse at our future.
            We do not want to see the world looking like this. We love diversity and wish for the world to protect its beautiful treasures. It is truly a catastrophe to lose the diversity of cultures, objects and life that we possess. We as artists challenge the objective stance of journalism, of art, of society in general. If we are to be without opinion, without a voice, without cause then we are truly in trouble. If you look around and see nothing wrong then you are blind. If your bliss is not caring not then you are part of the problem. We have evolved to this unhealthy state and with a sense of togetherness can evolve to a new sustainable existence.