We consume what is offered to us — as it is offered. Without questioning what we are supporting with it. As if we had no influence. Pia Hertel deals with the topic of packaging waste in her series “Absurdity Plastic.” Hertel: “In my work, I show the absurdity of our plastic consumption. At first glance, it seems grotesque that every French fry, every scoop of ice cream is individually wrapped. But unfortunately we actually find a great many products packaged in this way. Even where nature independently provides ideal packaging, man intervenes and destroys the otherwise wonderfully functioning system.”

Plain and austere, against a black background, she photographs the absurd packaging units to encourage consumers to rethink: “I didn’t want to show a destroyed nature, but pictures that remind the viewers that they use their influence every day. With every purchase. We alone determine the supply through our demand and should be aware of this power and the responsibility it entails.”

Pia Hertel. Born in 1987. Lives and works as a freelance photographer in Cologne. Studied photography at the University of Applied Sciences Dortmund. In her work she addresses social and political issues. She uses her strength in visual communication and the power of images to make the invisible visible, to visually clarify abstract contexts, and to create attention and awareness for important issues. Her work has received numerous awards.

pia-hertel.de
instagram.com/pia.hertel.fotografie

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