Burden of Over-consumption

Back in 2004 I did a series of prints focused on the heart, the things which burden our heart, and what that burden feels like.
It wasn't a subject/idea that I really connected with, but rather a way to focus so I wouldn't be staring at blank plates/blocks with no idea what to etch/carve into them.

For a long time I've had hang-ups about a strong consumerist driven culture. I realized though that consuming isn't the problem. To live is to consume.
Over-consumption is the problem. It's largely a matter of individual discipline. Only consume what one needs, plus a little extra for celebrations and special occasions (not everything one can get their hands on).

And there are layers of consequences to over-consumption. The 2 primary issues are A) The planet cannot sustain billions of people continually stripping it bare.
and B) Consuming more and more usually leaves the consumer with less and less (on a spiritual/wholeness level). Filling ones life with 'stuff' and endless entertainment leaves the individual starving for deeper sustenance.

The latter of the 2 primary issues is what this print focuses on. Though more is funneled into the heart, the nature of what is funneled in is detrimental, leaving the heart swollen, but at the core thinned and sickly.