Many of us boggle at the sheer amount of stuff we accumulate from week to week, but how long would it take you to sit down and draw everything you bought? What would we learn from the experience?
Wisconsin indie artist and graphic designer Kate Bingham-Burt actually set out to do this, and her new book, ‘Obsessive Consumption: What did you buy today?‘ documents her personal consumption over three years in many different mediums.
The result is a fascinating look at consumerism through the eyes of a self-confessed ‘impulse buyer’, which makes the reader think hard about what we do with our money, the motivations driving our spending and our own habits and weaknesses.
Each of Kate’s charming ink drawings are annotated with her own commentary, giving a personal touch to everyday, mass-produced items. They include wedding rings, a pair of owl-shaped earrings, a dog, many cups of coffee and burritos, handmade items from friends, beer, pizza, and a lot of pens and drawing paper to support her drawing habit!
Whether you consider yourself a shopaholic, an impulse-buyer or completely immune to the allure of retail, this book will resonate as an honest and fascinating account of our role as willing – or unwilling – consumers. Shopping is something we all do, and with so many choices of how and where we spend our money, a lot can be revealed from our purchases.
An interesting exercise is provided by simply answering the book’s title question: ‘what did you buy today?’ Whether it was a sandwich at your local deli, a designer handbag or a gift for a friend’s birthday, the answer will always tell a story, and as far as we’re aware, Kate Bingham-Burt is the first artist to explore those narratives.
Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today? is available from £8.44 on Amazon.
