“The Corporate Slaves”
Inspired by The Potato Eaters by Vincent Van Gogh (1885)
The Potato Eaters by Vincent Van Gogh is an oil painting created in 1885.
It is considered the first masterpiece of Van Gogh and marks the beginning of
his short but prolific career. While creating this painting, he was inspired by
realism and decided to depict the harsh realities of rural life. At the time, he
was staying with his parents in Nuenen, a countryside community inhabited
by farmers, laborers, and weavers.
Due to the painting’s gloomy colors and unappealing subject matter, it was
not well received by the public during its time. However, over the years, Van
Gogh evolved, using brighter colors and developing a distinct personal style.
In the artwork, five figures are seen having a modest meal of potatoes and
what appears to be coffee. The scene depicts a simple family dinner,
portrayed so realistically that the viewer can almost feel the atmosphere.
The figures’ bony features suggest that they are hard-working peasants.
Through this, Van Gogh conveys that they have earned their meal through
honest labor.
The painting also features bold and expressive brushwork to achieve realism.
Van Gogh employed chiaroscuro, a technique using stark contrast between
light and dark, to highlight the faces and hands of the subjects. The earthy,
somber color palette further enhances the mood and setting of the painting.
Engaging in the “social media challenge” has been a fun and creative
process for our group. Initially, we aimed to simply recreate the painting, but
eventually decided to incorporate our own interpretation with a modern
twist. This creative flexibility allowed us to add personal relevance and bring
attention to contemporary issues.
In selecting an artwork to recreate, we sought one that reflected a social
issue relevant to today’s world. The Potato Eaters stood out to us for its
depiction of the hardships of peasant life. From this, we drew parallels to
today’s workforce and reimagined the painting to represent “corporate
slaves”—individuals bound by the demands of corporate life.
As Accountancy students, we often hear the term "corporate slaves" used to
describe office workers who become overworked and consumed by financial
obligations. Using this symbolism, our goal was to portray, through
photography, how the modern equivalent of the struggling peasant is the
exploited office worker—trapped in a system that values profit over people.
Our decision to re-create The Potato Eaters with this perspective was
inspired by the desire to connect historical struggles to present-day
challenges. Van Gogh’s original message about the lives of peasants
resonated with us. It reminded us of the enduring power dynamics and social
inequalities that continue to exist. Through our modern reinterpretation, we
hoped to reflect on the effects of capitalism and start conversations about
the realities many individuals face in the corporate world.
As future professionals likely to join this system, this awareness motivated us
to create a meaningful photograph that sheds light on the conditions faced
by countless people caught in the modern-day cycle of labor and
consumption.
