Robert Ladislas Derr
Round and Round, 2011
I am fascinated by society’s insatiable desire for progress, even though postmodern ideology warned us of its lure. Is progress always positive? Being "progressive", one is characterized as innovative and too smart.
Unfortunately, innovation is not always productive or beneficial. This impulsive proclivity for change is counter to the British philosopher Edmund Burke who rightly postulated, "Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it." Blindly embracing change, failing to recall history, predictably recreates its failures.
Demonstrating a progressive act, I circle a small tree stripping its leaves, and then cumbersomely try to reattach each leaf with tape. Because of my intervention, the once healthy tree is now pathetic. My actions result in an utter failure. Progressive measures go round and round, robbing one faction to benefit merely a few, and inevitably suffers the whole.