Armed with content from various political sources and media standpoints, "Code: Orange" questions the integrity of the arbitrary code assigned to our status as Americans in the late 2003 formation of Homeland Security. By first establishing a pseudo-shopping list for survival in the event of a terrorist attack, Code: Orange exploits the intentions of mass media surrounding elements of societal fears. With its portrayal of the human portrait with an emphasis on motion, Code: Orange replicates the misrepresentation that much of our media hinges upon daily. Next, this project portrays what is typical for many persons under this code in a sequence that features a character willing to spread his thoughts and ideas to anyone who will hear them. With political undertones, the character poses his thoughts on a plain card that simply states nothing and everything at the same time. With so much information available today and at such a rapid rate, the thought of having a blank place to meditate upon one thing seems futile. So to are the characters actions futile as his message is inevitably a failure. Formally, this section of prints are toned deep orange to symbolize the overwhelming feeling of fear about the unknown. Following the toned sequence, using a standard approach, Code: Orange features the same main character in a rural setting holding on to his ideas. Broadcasting his views and blank orange card again, the man begins to loose sight of his goals and his beliefs while trying to enforce them. After realizing nothing he is attempting to share is being seen by anyone, the main character is forced to abandon his card and let it pass into the landscape.

The idea that our country can be placed into an arbitrary color code and that this is automatically supposed to mean we take necessary steps to protect ourselves is the main target for interpretation in Code: Orange. Media plays upon the fears of its viewers and by misrepresenting the truth about what our government is doing or saying, they can make people subscribe to many ideas they would otherwise not. Code: Orange asks its viewers to question those ideas as a way to understand the truth while it reminds them to never loose focus and constantly evaluate their position on such issues.


2003© Cory Burnett