Obvious State is a creative studio, their artwork and goods are inspired by beautiful language that has stood the test of time, poetry that stretches the imagination, and philosophy that prompts us to think deeply. Obvious State takes snippets of text from literature, philosophy, and poetry as inspiration for a visual response and illustration. 

“Who will watch the watchers?” – Juvenal

Penned in 100 AD, Juneval’s most memorable quotation is a prescient warning about the unchecked power of overlords. Did he wax a little dramatic-slash-paranoid? Fair enough. But this observation feels more relevant than ever. 

Whether it’s big government, big tech, big data, or any of the other bigs, we ignore Juvenal’s question at our own peril. 

Has big tech merged into one giant, all-seeing, algorithmic eye that tracks our interactions, maps our social networks and locations, monitors our vitals, then analyzes, packages and sells that data to the other bigs? 

Have the other bigs formed one bigger big? Or have we binge-watched too much Black Mirror?

Being constantly wired in is new to human beings, and we derive our best guesses regarding its detrimental effects from dystopian literature and totalitarian governments. 

Neither of which is comforting.

In the illustration, a group of dazed individuals bask in the light of their screens, their shadows casting avatars into a cloud of ones and zeros. The human hive forms the shape of a giant panopticon-like eye, peering curiously through the print into your house

Product Details:

• Cover: 18pt recycled chipboard made from recycled content & books
• 32 college ruled sheets, uncoated 70# paper
• Pocket sized: 3.5 x 5 inches
• Saddle stitched with matching black staples
• Made in US in partnership with Scout Books.

You can shop the collection here.