The new age religion in our society is consumerism. Every week a brand new coupon book is released out into the public for shoppers to tear apart into hundreds of different little squares. With these squares they can literally remove twenty cents off of their next purchase of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. Some even turn this coupon hoarding, or sale finding into a game. The point is, society has become so dependent on consumer product sales that they can’t see if buying the jacket fifteen percent off is really saving them money. When in reality they could have just walked past the jacket, and been just as fine. This whole concept can be represented by the image above. In the above photo one see four people in robes bending down praising a “Sale Ends Today” sign. Through the use of colors, time period, and facial expressions this image is able to express that consumerism has become the “new religion” in this era.

The first representation of the “new religion” can be expressed through the images colors. There are really three primary colors used within this photo. There is red, black and a grey. The people within the picture are displayed using the grey and black to create a dull and bleak mood. The red is used to make a focus point and contrast from the rest of the picture. The red is used to represent a sign that most marketing majors would already know; red draws the eye. So, it is only natural for the artist to use red on the sign. Since this is about religion, one could also relate the use of the color red back to religion. Red can be seen as an impure or evil color in the use of Christianity. From apples, to fire, and even to the devil himself. Rather than thinking of praise the people in the image could be bowing down out of fear for something evil. Either way they are under its control because it represents life. Mary Hoggan explains the meaning of the color red with “’Red’, I write ‘is the color of life. It's blood, passion, rage. It's menstrual flow and after birth. Beginnings and violent end. Red is the color of love. Beating hearts and hungry lips. Roses, Valentines, cherries. Red is the color of shame. Crimson cheeks and spilled blood. Broken hearts, opened veins. A burning desire to return too white.’” From this Mary explains how one concept can be the polar opposite of something. It just depends on how one wants to perceive it. Like the people in the black robes one can either pinpoint them as worshipping the sale sign, or they can look at the robed people as being on their knees in fear. With this we can move onto look at how time periods give meaning to this image.

Time periods give this image meaning by contrasting the era of A.D (After Descendant) and B.C (Before Christ). The part of the image that represents A.D would be the people dressed up as worshippers. The area to represent B.C, or more precisely 2016 would by the “Sale Ends Today” sign. The reason why this contrast is so important is because back in the A.D time people were seen on their knees praying for people like Jesus Christ, Alexander the Great, or Cleopatra. With today’s time one can see people showing this kind of devoutness to sales on material things. This image is showing similarities of truly great people to impact the days we are living in so heavily to the point that they are still mentioned in high school history classes to something as dull as a “For Sale” sign. The image is actually making a mockery to today’s society by presenting praying this way. One quote to explain this whole situation is “If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace” (John Lennon). This quote relates to the image by through the TV set and the “for sale” sign. If more people actually prayed for the opposite, peace, then the people could easily make progress in life.

Through the use of facial expressions, the artist of this image is able to convey a new religion. On this topic there is two ways to look at the photo. The first is that the people are bowing down to the sign out of worship. The two people on the left are seeing kneeling down on their knees, and one of them is slouched over on the other. One may see that they are praying to the sign out of hope, healthfulness, or just wellbeing.  The two people on the right are doing the same as you can see the far right one on their knees with closed face praying. The central person is turned away from the viewer with both hands up to show respect for the all-powerful sign. The other way to look at this image is that the people are praying, but out of fear instead of wellbeing. The people with viewable faces can be seen with agony in their expressions. None of them have even the slightest grin. The person all the way to the left can be seen falling on the person to the right. It is safe to presume this supernatural entity is only getting prayers of mercy. The two in the middle can be seen with both of their hands up. This can be seen as a sign of forfeit or surrender. Making the sign look only more evil than some may presume. The photo can be seen multiple ways; it just depends on how one wants to view it.

This image brings many questionable thoughts to how a person can perceive the world. It asks the basic question of what a society should really be praying to. Through the use of color, time period, and facial expressions this image is able to express that consumerism has become the “new religion” in this era.