Imagining False Utopias

Sam McFadden

Dreaming of a better life has been an innate part of humanity since the beginning and is largely informed by systems that are familiar to us, like capitalism. Imagining the future inspires us to create utopian and dystopian media, as we attempt to peak into what the future could or should look like. It is interesting, however, to analyze common themes in utopian media. Certain hegemonic themes are always present, albeit not immediately obvious, even if these hegemonic structures are inherently detrimental. Capitalism is my theme of interest, as it has become a system that we cannot escape, even in our art. Based on this idea, I set out to create utopian digital collages for a series, titled “Imagining False Utopias,” that amplify themes of capitalism and socio-economic discrepancies. I created four pieces, each focusing on different aspects of a utopian life embedded in themes of materialism, capitalism, and greed.