Narcissus in the Garden of Malcontent

My church had this piece in it today by Corey Van Duinen called “Narcissus in the Garden of Malcontent.” It was an entry in art prize last year. It is made of different kinds of wood. Notice his footwear and what he is listening to. I wish I could copy hear what Corey wrote describing the piece about how technology can be used to connect but often leaves us alone and ignoring our beautiful surroundings. He was not condemning tech but showing the tension between how it makes our lives better vs. how it isolates us and causes us to miss out on things.

I thought it was interesting how he used ancient Greek mythology to speak about a modern ethical issue. This juxtaposition demonstrates a complex understanding of both the current tension of technological change and the meaning of the original story. I would gladly accept this as a final project in a social studies class. We need more art in all classes and we need to look beyond bubble sheets for a demonstration of students’ knowledge of content.