Artist Statement - The data for this work is about the percentage of foreign-owned U.S. agriculture/farm land to private and the acres that they own for the years 2010-2023. I converted the acres data to something more usable with the rest of the set, since it was in millions. The experience allows the viewer to generate their own art piece based on the year and associated data. No two pieces are the same, which I think represents the beauty of diversity in nature. As the year increases the middle square increases in size, corresponding with the increasing amount of foreign-owned land. The space the central square takes up on the screen does not equate to the percentage of foreign-owned land to private owned land. I dramatized the increase to create a sense of importance. While some of the works may be beautiful, the data that creates them is not. Increased foreign-owned farmlands means less land for young people, a siphoning of wealth from the working class Americans, and harder times for those getting into farming. The frame, eye, and question mark that can appear are all intentional. The messy frame represents the messy lines between producer and value of the product. Oftentimes the most tortured artists never receive appropriate compensation for their works which have had measurable impact. As is the case with agricultural workers whose work is so important, but only receive a fraction of the end-value of what they have produced. The eye serves as a reminder you are a participant in this system. The question mark is more direct, acting as a sign to question the systems you are participating in and wondering more about what is going on behind the scenes.
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