Bruce Eesly

The photographs we’ve been shown in brochures and business reports of agricultural corporations suggest that the Green Revolution was a complete success: the abundant growth of new high-yielding corn varieties is contrasted with meagre harvests from traditional farming. Satisfied farmers sit on new machines that do all the hard work for them. No unwanted weeds in sight. The results are there for everyone to see. But is this the whole truth?

New Farmer poses as a historical document and seems to reiterate the success story of the Green Revolution: genetic manipulation results in new crop varieties which result in bigger and better harvests. As the story unfolds however, there are cracks. The images hover just slightly beyond believability until finally turning absurd. They are not documentary photographs from the 1960s as the pamphlet suggests, but AI-generated images. The story itself, while bearing some resemblance to actual events, is also made up: This alternative version doesn’t end in the giant fields of monocultures that surround us today, but instead brings about oversized vegetables.