This large-scale assemblage sculpture by Chris Burden reminded me of a story about a man who fabricated several tall poles and placed them in the middle of a busy street. He then placed powerful lights at the top of each pole. When asked why he built the structures, he answered, “To get the lights up very high.” When asked why the lights needed to be so high, he answered, “So people are able to see the poles and avoid running into them.” In isolation, the man’s answers are completely reasonable, logical and rational explanations … for taking an utterly absurd action. Although our rational and logical faculties are powerful tools, they are not an antidote for foolishness.
Due to the complexity of our society and daily existence, we often get lost in the weeds and fail to ask important overarching questions such as, how does this activity benefit the world and contribute to human flourishing? We often put too much faith in our ability to operate rationally within our limited sphere of operation and overlook the need to understand and ponder the meaning, purpose and ultimate impact of our collective actions. It is important to note that the most critical questions can’t be answered with an equation or algorithm. They almost always require the application of ethical and moral judgements.