With the emergence of industrial mass production, material prosperity became synonymous with a “good life.” The technological revolution resulted in the rapid spread of machines: in 2011, more than one billion automobiles roamed our streets and the number of mobile phones exceeded the world’s population. Just a hundred years ago, Earth at night was completely dark; today, it is lit up by lights from urban cities. This is the result of an incomparable growth process: a sphere of human consciousness has risen above the chemical, geological, and biological spheres of the past. Though this consciousness was initially focused on material growth, today we are beginning to see a trend towards sustainability and a climate-conscious way of life. However, in order to establish these new values on a worldwide scale, we need to make sure that basic human needs, such as a roof over one’s head and sufficient food and water, are sufficiently met.
Machine Tools
Marina Porras Chassignet
Machine Tools
Marina Porras Chassignet
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet, 2014.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The history of the hole: Machine tools
Text and images by Marina Porras Chassignet
University of the Arts (UdK), Berlin
The story of the hole
“If my hands were freed up, I would dig a hole right here.”
The story of the hole
“If my hands were freed up, I would dig a hole right here.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet, 2014. 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
“If I knew a better technique, I wouldn’t need 60 hours to drill this hole.”
“If I knew a better technique, I wouldn’t need 60 hours to drill this hole.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
“If we were stronger, we could drill a larger hole.”
“If we were stronger, we could drill a larger hole.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
“If we had more precise tools, we could work more accurately.”
“If we had more precise tools, we could work more accurately.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
“If I had better machines, I would drill 1,000 holes per minute.”
“If I had better machines, I would drill 1,000 holes per minute.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
“If the machines would run automatically, we could drink coffee while working.”
“If the machines would run automatically, we could drink coffee while working.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
“If I didn’t have to press buttons, I could pick up my daughter from school.”
“If I didn’t have to press buttons, I could pick up my daughter from school.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
“If we could one day learn to think for ourselves, we could finally get rid of humans.”
“If we could one day learn to think for ourselves, we could finally get rid of humans.”
Drawn by Marina Porras Chassignet , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Artist’s comment
It was only through my research for this comic that I understood how the development and utilization of machine tools led to a highly technological world. The implementation of tools not only influences the production of goods, but it also significantly impacts our rhythm of our life, culture, environment, and daily life. We must decide how want to continue in the future.
How to cite
Chassignet, Marina Porras. “Machine Tools.” Environment & Society Portal, Multimedia Library, 2014. http://www.environmentandsociety.org/node/6655/.
The comic also appears in Alexandra Hamann, Reinhold Leinfelder, Helmuth Trischler, and Henning Wagenbreth, eds., Anthropozän – 30 Meilensteine auf dem Weg in ein neues Erdzeitalter. Eine Comic-Anthologie (Munich: Deutsches Museum, 2014).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
