Sustainable Fanaticism in America 1 of 8, paint on panel, 12” x12”, 2009
Recently, I have focused on humans relating to each other through the lens of fanaticism. In this series of drawings, I tune into a world of non-stop technological change, threatening global warming, and media focused on an uncertain economic future. All these elements can lead to anxiety and a sense of loss of control, a feeling to which a broad audience can relate. In situations of anxiety, humans can often turn to the comfort of dichotomies: "A" versus "B", or "black" versus "white" situations. My question is, when does someone cross the line from a "firm believer of their stance" to "fanatic"?
These drawings are partly inspired by the research of a team of University of South Florida graduate students, which includes myself, and who are funded by a Graduate Student Challenge Grant to study the relationship between fanaticism and sustainability within the USF population.
The research team's definition of fanaticism is someone who subverts traditional deliberative processes by actively seeking out and suppressing or marginalizing contrary perspectives. Our research centers around an online survey where we ask USF students to answer multiple choice questions, which reveal how relatively fanatical or not fanatical about sustainability they might be.